Pure White
by Clockwork Hikari
Summary: White Touko, a fiery aspiring trainer, is starting her journey in Unova. Between collecting all the badges, raising her own Pokemon, and of course foiling the plans of the ever present Team Plasma, there's no way she has time for a love life... or does she? FerrisWheelShipping? Or ChessShipping? Read to find out! WhitexN , WhitexBlack
1. Chapter 1

**_I do not own Pokémon!_**

**_Hello fellow readers and writers! This is the story of the saucy White Touko. She's tough, brave, and a little stubborn. We follow her through Unova with a storyline similar to the games, but with my own little twists here and there. Please Enjoy!_**

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Bianca and Cheren had thoroughly trashed my room. Not them directly, but their Pokémon. Of course mom had insisted to clean it up, considering the special occasion today. I, White Touko, had officially become a Pokémon trainer. My two best friends, Bianca and Cheren, had also done so, and we were assigned by Professor Juniper to fill the pages of our shiny new Pokedex. It was so exciting taking our first steps on Route 1 together. Oshawott liked it too. He seemed really happy to have a new owner, and I was happy I chose him. Of course, Cheren would pick our opposite, Snivy, and Bianca had chosen Tepig. Each of us were delighted with our choices after we had a first battle. Luck must have been shining down on me, because not only did I win against Bianca, but by some miracle I beat Cheren too. Oshawott was exhausted afterwards, so I put him back in his Pokeball until we started traveling down Route 1.

Professor Juniper had just given us a few Pokeballs to start out. We all saw this as an opportunity to test out our abilities as a trainer. So a challenge was issued. Whoever caught the most Pokémon before reaching Accumula Town was the winner. Oshawott and I searched really hard, but there were only two kinds of Pokémon in the area. The only new addition I made to my team was a male Lillipup. It was simply adorable! I promised I'd take great care of him. I met up with Cheren and Bianca at the end of the route with only one new Pokémon, but it turned out they only caught one as well. So it ended as a tie.

We all strode into Accumula Town, feeling serious satisfaction and holding our heads high. It was the start of a great adventure for all of us. So different from the images of us sitting in front of our TVs just longing for our own Pokémon. However, as noob trainers, we had a lot to learn. Not so much Cheren as Bianca and I. He was always the smart one in our group. So while Professor Juniper proceeded to show us what a PokeCenter was, Cheren was strolling around town and asking for directions to the nearest Pokémon Gym. I felt a little lame compared to him. He was so prepared for his journey unlike me. I was sure he knew almost everything about raising a Pokémon already, it might take me a while to catch up to him.

Professor Juniper explained everything to Bianca and I. She showed us how to use the PC and where to buy supplies for our quest. After that, I let out Oshawott and watched Nurse Joy heal him to perfect health. Lillipup already had full health so I wasn't worried. Bianca bought about a dozen Potions and Pokeballs. Where she got money for that... I couldn't tell you. But it was nice to see her so determined for once. I smiled lightly at her as I carried Oshawott in my arms out of the PokeCenter. In the middle of Accumula Square... That was where things started to get weird.

"Hey, what's going on over there? A bunch of people have gathered." I heard one young man say. Another shrugged.

"Beats me, but let's go check it out." He replied. Then they walked into the crowd.

I frowned slightly, wondering what it was, and started moving closer towards the people. Oshawott struggled in my arms a bit, so I heaved him onto my shoulder, where he decided to crawl on top of my hat and lay down. I noticed Cheren standing near the end of the crowd. He turned back and waved me over. I came close behind him and whispered low.

"What's going on here?" He shook his head.

"I have no idea. But look," he said pointing out in front of us. I peeked over his shoulder and saw a bunch of oddly dressed people standing in a circle. They all wore the same uniform, which looked like some medieval knight costume. Some were male and some female. Then, the circle spread open, revealing a rather large intimidating man within. He stepped forward slowly and observed the crowd. All the chatter that had gone on before was now silenced. I could hear Oshawott swallow hard. He really was scary looking... And then he began to speak.

"My name is Ghetsis." Even his voice was frightening. It sent chills up my spine. "I have come on the behalf of Team Plasma. My fellow residents of Unova, I would like to talk to you about Pokémon liberation." _Pokémon liberation...?_ A few members of the crowd turned and mumbled to each other. I could hear Cheren breathe.

"What...?"

After that intro, his speech just got even more confusing. He continued to talk about Pokémon being pushed around and commanded to battle against their will. How they are never really treated as our partners but as slaves. He spoke about how they had unknown potential, and how they could never truly be happy contained within a Pokeball or at a trainer's side. It made no sense to me... But whispers in the crowd told me that some people may have been questioning if this was the truth. It couldn't be though... Could it? The words continually ran through my head. _Liberation, Pokémon liberation_. Was he suggesting that we release our partners?

Ghetsis was pleased as he heard the hushed questioning voices. He smirked wickedly.

"Consider the relationship between people and Pokémon... And the correct way to proceed. We sincerely appreciate your attention." Then the oddly dressed people all surrounded him again, like they were a wall of protection. They all walked out-of-town with even strides. The people fell silent for a moment again.

"What he said can't possibly be true..." One woman said.

"Of course not! If our Pokémon didn't like us, we would know... Right?" Another said.

"Besides... He can't expect that every trainer in the world will release all their Pokémon. It simply won't happen!" The crowd chatted a while longer and then dispersed, each with the idea that it wasn't possible. Cheren and I stayed behind and just looked at each other. He let out a long sigh.

"Well that was strange." I nodded, causing Oshawott to tumble off my head and into my arms again. We both chucked.

"Do you think he really meant it?" I asked. "The Pokémon liberation I mean." Cheren shrugged and pushed his glasses further up.

"No clue. Either way, it leaves me with a bad feeling about that Team Plasma he mentioned. We really need to keep an eye out for them now." I scratched the top of Oshawott's furry head.

"I don't think I could ever let go of my precious Pokémon..." Cheren smiled.

"Yeah. I know we all just got one, but I feel like we've become really close already, you know?" I nodded again and lightly kissed the top of Oshawott's forehead. He made happy squeaking noises.

"Besides, I think they like us a lot too." He made more little noises and waved his hands in the air. Cheren and I both laughed.

"You there." I jumped hearing an unfamiliar voice all of a sudden. We turned to see a very tall young man standing close behind us. How long had he been there? "Your Pokémon just now it said-" he spoke incredibly fast. Cheren held up his hand and interrupted.

"Slow down. I can hardly understand you. You're talking way too fast." I studied the man a bit more. He really was tall, almost six feet, and looked to be about twenty years old. He had a strange cube chained to a belt loop and his green hair was neatly tied low behind his head, though a few messy pieces were sticking out from under his hat-... Green hair...

"You have green hair." I stated.

"And what did you say? Something about her Pokémon... Speaking?" Cheren continued. I leaned in and whispered.

"Cheren, he has green hair." I said again. Cheren looked at me, confused.

"Yes I can see. But didn't you hear what he said?" I shrugged.

"Well, yeah. But look at his hair. It's... I mean it's green."

"It bothers you more that his hair is green and not that he can hear Pokémon speak?"

"Well it certainly isn't a natural color."

"Talking to Pokémon isn't natural either!"

The man put his hand over his face and shook his head.

"Please allow me to continue..." He moaned. Cheren and I giggled and ceased our arguing. "My name is N." He told us.

"I'm Cheren," he nudged my arm, "and this is White."

"Pleased to meet you." I said.

"So White's Pokémon... You heard it say something?" Cheren asked again. N frowned.

"I see... So you can't hear it either then. What a pity." I raised my eyebrow.

"Well of course. No one has ever been able to understand what Pokémon say." I explained. N shook his head.

"Aside from myself, I suppose not." Was he serious? "Now then... You two, you're trainers, correct?" We both smiled and nodded our heads proudly.

"Yes, Professor Juniper gave us out first Pokémon and Pokedex today." Cheren said.

"We're going to travel all over Unova and become the greatest trainers." I added in. Oshawott chimed with me. Again, N shook his head.

"Pokedex... So, you're going to confine many Pokémon within Pokeballs and force them to battle just so you can become stronger? You're going to categorize Pokémon in that pathetic little computer like they aren't living, breathing creatures as we are?" Our smiles quickly faded with his words. "I am also a trainer but... I can't help wondering, are Pokémon really happy that way?" He was starting to sound like that Ghetsis guy. Cheren and I were dumbfounded by his response to our mission. We just stood in silence, our mouths agape. He stepped closer to me and I held my breath. "What do you think, White?"

"I... A-ah..." I stammered.

"H-hey, back off." Cheren warned. But N didn't move. He narrowed his eyes and smirked, reaching into his pocket for something. He pulled out a single Pokeball and held it in front of my face.

"Let me hear the voice of your Pokémon some more..." He whispered seductively.

"Uwah..." I swallowed hard, but nodded slowly. "O-okay..." N smirked again and backed

away. I was finally able to breathe again. Cheren shot me a worried glance.

"Be careful White, I don't like the looks of this guy." I smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry," I said pulling my own Pokeball out of my pink bag, "it will be fine." I carefully set Oshawott down beside me. "I'm going to have you sit this one out, okay buddy?" Oshawott chirped and ran over to Cheren. I stood completely straight and faced the green haired boy. We each pressed the middle button of our Pokeball, enlarging it to it's normal size. "Ready?" I asked.

"Let us begin." N replied.

"Lillipup, come on out!" I commanded. I flung the Pokeball into the air and it opened, releasing a bright light that materialized the small puppy Pokémon. Lillipup barked excitedly at his first real battle.

"Purrloin, my friend!" N shouted also tossing the Pokeball out. The white light hit the ground and there was the purple cat Pokémon.

"Lillipup use Tackle!" I called out. The puppy charged forward towards the Purrloin, but it didn't flinch. It continued to lick it's paw, waiting for it's master's orders. Lillipup got closer and closer. Just before he hit, N made his move.

"Growl, now!" The cat hissed harshly at the oncoming puppy, causing him to cringe and lose his aggressiveness.

"Quickly Leer!" Lillipup opened it's eyes and shot a deadly glare into the Purrloins. The cat Pokémon, unsure of how to react, slowly backed away and looked around worried.

"Use Bite!" Suddenly the puppy shot forward and grabbed a hold of one purple paw with it's teeth. The Purrloin shrieked in pain, but was able to shake off Lillipup quite easily and regain it's composure.

"Sand Attack and then Scratch!" The cat slid across the pavement, causing grit and sand to fly into Lillipup's eyes and temporarily blind him.

"Lillipup, no! Shake it off!" But Purrloin was already raking it's sharp claws against his face. The puppy whimpered and backed away, pushing it's paws into its eyes to get rid of the sand.

"Hit again with Scratch!" The Purrloin once again came forward and prepared to slash at the small puppy.

"Dodge to the left!" Lillipup jumped to it's left, narrowly being missed by the claws. "Now Tackle!" The puppy smashed into the cat's side, sending it scraping across the ground.

"No!" N cried at the sight of his Pokémon in pain. The cat staggered to stand up.

"Almost finished! One more Leer and then Tackle!" Once again, Lillipup narrowed his eyes and growled low. Purrloin's ears and tail went down as it tried to back away again. The puppy went charging at it for the final blow.

"Growl! Come on!" But Purrloin was still being affected by the Leer. Lillipup slammed into it, dealing the finishing damage and causing it to faint. The battle had ended.

I let out a breath and walked up to my Pokémon. I bent down and smiled, petting it's soft head. Lillipup wagged his tail.

"You did a great job. Thank you so much." I praised. The puppy barked happily and licked the tip of my fingers as a sign of affection. I held out the Pokeball and lightly tapped his head, making a red light shoot out and consume the Pokémon back inside. Oshawott hopped away from Cheren and back to me. He waved his arms in congratulations and cheered. I smiled and took out his Pokeball too. "What a good little cheerleader you are. But back inside for you too." I popped the ball open and withdrew Oshawott. I stood once more and looked around, seeing N hunched over his fainted Purrloin. I looked at Cheren, who shrugged. I sighed and approached them from behind.

"Don't worry... This will fix you right up..." He whispered softly. I peered over his shoulder and saw him placing a Max Revive on the cat's tongue. In a moment, the star-shaped medicine refreshed the fainted Pokémon and it stood once more. "All better, right?" N asked. Purrloin purred and rubbed against his hand in thanks. I watched as he took out the Pokeball again and shrunk it back down. He held it in his palm for a second, then gently crushed it. I gasped. The Purrloin looked up at him, confused. "I thank you for your help, my friend. You are free again." The cat stood still, then mewed once and licked his hand. It turned and pranced away into the brush.

N pushed himself up and finally turned to face me. I held my hand over my mouth when I saw a tear running down his pale cheek. He had been... Crying?

"You just... Released your Pokémon?" I asked. N looked away and nodded.

"Pokémon can never be perfect beings if they are confined within Pokeballs. My dream... I want to set them free. I never wish to see them in pain. They are all my friends." He muttered. I looked at him, almost admiringly. _He really seems to understand these Pokémon... But, is it right to let his friends go?_ He looked at me again and lifted my chin up with his index finger. "Your Pokemon's words... They soothe me."

"Wha... What do you mean?" I blinked a few times. He smiled, and I hadn't noticed before, but he had such a soft, gentle-looking face. It was... Interesting, and I felt my heart thumping hard in my chest.

"It reminds me that perhaps there are still kind trainers in this world. If there were more trainers as yourself... I wouldn't worry about my friends so much. Your Pokémon have a deep attachment to you, although they are young and inexperienced." He explained. I let out a sigh of relief, grateful that he saw there was good in traveling with Pokémon. "Which is why I shall let you be... For now." He flipped his finger up and released my chin. I stared wide-eyed at him, puzzled by his final words. He smirked and looked down at me. "It was a pleasure speaking with you." He glanced at Cheren, who was awkwardly rocking back and forth. "You... Do not lose sight of what you wish to become, boy." Cheren froze.

"Huh? Hey, what do you mean by that?" He questioned pushing his glasses up. N raised his hand.

"Farewell." He turned and hurried away, leaving Cheren and I alone in the square. Neither of us moved. We were both contemplating what he said to us. Such a confusing young man... I couldn't tell if he was with us, or against us. I groaned out loud and shuffled over to Cheren.

"What the hell was he talking about?" I complained. Cheren's eyes were closed and his brow furrowed in frustration.

"I have no clue. But really, what did he mean by that? 'Do not lose sight of what you wish to become'? What the heck?" He crossed his arms and looked around. "Well I'm going to become Champion one day. Of course, I won't get far if I stay here. I'm going to head to Striaton City. There's a Pokémon Gym there. It would be the perfect way to test my skills." I shrugged.

"Go for it then." He nudged me.

"You should go too. Don't want to fall behind, do you?" He raised an eyebrow. I flipped my wavy brunette ponytail.

"Of course I'll go there. I can't let you or Bianca get ahead of me, now can I?" He stuck his tongue out.

"You couldn't afford to after you set the bar when you beat us. But I plan to take you out easily soon." I rolled my eyes and started for the PokeCenter to heal Lillipup.

"Don't get your hopes up."

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**_Well there you have it, chapter 1! This is my first attempt at a fanfiction, so feedback is greatly appreciated. If you have any suggestions, comments or questions please let me know! I will try to continue updating as soon as possible. Please R&R!~_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hello again fellow readers! Whoever you are, you've looked at the second chapter of my fanfic, which makes me exceedingly happy. So Thank you! And for the record, I promise not to get mushy gushy with the relationships too quickly. (As bad as I might want to :P) So without further ado, here's chapter 2! (I am a rhyming master!) Enjoy.~**_

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After fully healing my Pokémon, I made sure to purchase some supplies. Potions, status healers, and a few more Pokeballs just in case. Then I started down Route 2. There were a few trainers along the road, but Oshawott and Lillipup had no trouble taking them out. Grinning from eat to ear, I watched them each gain experience. They were becoming

stronger, and I felt more confident as a trainer. Maybe I could be great.

The Pokémon of the area had already been recorded on my Dex, and my Xtranciever wasn't picking up any new types nearby. I continued down the path and looked up at the sky. Clouds were lazily rolling along the light blue atmosphere. The sun was slightly past it's highest point, meaning it was perhaps an hour or two after noon. We eventually reached the end of the route, and I could see Striaton City in the distance.

"Gym Leader, here I come."

I said to myself. I started to walk forward when a voice behind me caught my attention.

"Hey, wait up White!" The cheery voice called. I turned and saw Bianca happily skipping towards me.

"Oh hey Bianca. What's up?" She stopped in front of me and beamed.

"Will you have a battle with me? Tepig and I have trained up a bit. I think we got stronger!" I gave her a half-smile. Her determination was an admirable trait. I pulled out Oshawott's Pokeball and pressed the button.

"Sure thing. I'll need some practice for the Gym ahead." We backed away from each other to give our Pokémon enough room. Bianca squealed with delight as she took out her own

Pokeball and enlarged it. She threw it ahead and called out.

"Tepig let's do it!" The white light shot out and the fire pig appeared. It made little oinking sounds that were super adorable. I giggled and tossed my Pokeball forward.

"Oshawott come out!" The sea otter hit the ground and squeaked happily.

"Tepig Tail Whip!" The Tepig turned around and wagged it's coiled tail cutely at us. Oshawott just stared with a blank face. He had no idea how to react. Even I was unsure of what to do. It was a strange way to start the battle. "Now Ember!" The fire pig opened its mouth wide and shot small flames across the grass. They sizzled when they hit Oshawott. He cringed slightly, but it wasn't very effective.

"Focus Energy!" I ordered. Oshawott stood his ground and closed his eyes, drawing in all his power.

"Tackle, go!" The Tepig came rushing forward and was about to land a heavy hit when Oshawott opened his eyes.

"Water Gun now!" Oshawott opened his mouth and a stream of cold water hit Tepig hard. A Critical Hit! Tepig flew far back in front of Bianca and rolled over onto it's side. It had fainted. "Wow one hit K.O... Awesome Oshawott!" I cheered. Oshawott jumped up high and held his tiny white paw in the air.

"Oh Tepig... You tried your best." Bianca frowned and took out it's Pokeball. "Return!" She withdrew Tepig and took out her next Pokeball. "Alright Lillipup, your turn!" And out came her Lillipup. It wagged its tail and prepared for battle. I looked at Oshawott.

"Think you can keep going?" I asked him. He gave me a nod and turned back to the Lillipup. "Alright then use Water Gun!" Oshawott spat out another jet of water.

"Dodge it! Then run forward and use Tackle! Don't let Oshawott get far away!" Sure enough, as the water came speeding towards it, the Lillipup quickly moved out-of-the-way and charged at Oshawott.

"Hurry use Water Gun again!" But it was too late. Lillipup slammed into Oshawott and sent him skidding back. He tried to stay upright but struggled. "Water Gun now!" Another burst of water sprayed out of his mouth and forced Lillipup back again. It shook it's wet fur and barred it's sharp teeth.

"Get close again and Bite!" The Lillipup ran forward again and prepared to take a bite of the sea otter. He was coming too fast... Oshawott wouldn't be able to dodge even if he tried... Idea!

"Use Water Gun towards the ground!" Oshawott hesitated a moment but did as I instructed. The Water Gun propelled him high into the air as Lillipup's Bite attack missed, just as I planned. "Now hit it with Tackle!" Oshawott got the extra momentum from his jump and fell on top of the puppy Pokémon. It winced with pain upon impact. As Oshawott flipped backwards and stood in an offensive stance, Lillipup fainted in front of him. We had won.

Bianca sighed as she approached her knocked out Pokémon and knelt by it's side. She gently stroked it's fur.

"You did the best you could, thank you." She withdrew Lillipup. I smiled at Oshawott.

"Great job. I'll get you fixed up at a PokeCenter as soon as I can." I told him. He happily cheered and then I sent him back inside the Pokeball. I walked up to Bianca and pulled her up into an embrace. "You're getting better. That was a fun battle." I assured her. She hugged me tighter.

"Thanks White... But I really do have a long way to go before I can be as good as you or Cheren." She pulled away and looked at me with her pleading green eyes. "Do you really think I can get better?" I lightly smiled and pat her shoulder.

"I know that you can." She gave me a toothy grin and one last hug.

"I'll make you so proud one day! Maybe even my father will be proud..." She trailed off. I slightly frowned. Her father had completely been against her travels. She wanted to prove to him that she could handle herself. But I had faith in her. I believed in her.

"You will." I said nodding. She nodded back and fixed the green hat sitting atop her bobbed blonde hair.

"Then I'm going to train some more! I hear there's a Pokémon Gym in this city... I'll get stronger and challenge it." I could see determination in her eyes. "I'll see you later White! Thanks for the battle!" She waved and hurried into the little city. I sighed again and walked onto the paved road leading towards the buildings.

They weren't skyscrapers or anything, but tall enough to be apartments or small businesses. It wasn't a huge town. A few people bustled across the street, some older men and women with jobs behind a desk, others children playing with each other. There weren't many cars and trucks and such in Unova, so most streets leading to even the biggest cities were always relatively clear and safe. Even so, entering Striaton City was a bit intimidating to me. I had never really traveled far from Nuvema Town before, so new sights were always exciting.

At the far end of the road, I saw the familiar glass windows of the PokeCenter. On the left side of the PokeCenter, there was a little trainer school that I had heard about. On the right side, there was a beautiful looking restaurant. I stopped in front of the grand doors and looked up at the sign hanging overhead. My stomach growled just thinking about the food in there.

A middle-aged man with slightly grey hair rushed out from the doors, nearly running me

over. I backed away and observed him. He was noticeably panicking.

"Oh, Arceus bless it! Where is that boy?" The man cried running his fingers through his hair. I watched as he paced back and forth in front of the entrance, then I approached.

"Um, excuse me but, is everything alright sir?" I asked meekly. He looked up at me and grinned.

"Why yes Miss! I-I promise you the Gym leader will be back shortly. No worries at all, n-not at all!" He stumbled over his words. But wait... Gym leader? I tapped my chin.

"This isn't a restaurant?" He shook his head, then paused and nodded.

"Well... Yes and no. I mean, it's a restaurant and it's also a Pokémon Gym. Three siblings run it together, both challenging trainers and treating folks to some of the best food in Unova!" He explained excitedly. Then his excitement turned back into panic. "O-of course right now no one can challenge the Gym. One of the leaders has gone off somewhere." He rapidly bowed his head to me. "I greatly apologize Miss!" I giggled a little.

"Don't worry, it's not a big deal." Although, I had wanted to challenge a Gym leader for the first time. The man looked at me with pleading eyes.

"W-well I don't want to disappoint anyone! A black-haired boy with glasses was just here a bit ago..." Huh, it must have been Cheren. "He wished to challenge the Gym too, but the brothers refuse to battle unless they're all together. He said he would wait until the leader got back and went off into the trainer school. I must find that leader!"He spoke quickly and barely gave himself room for air. "Please... Can you help me?"

"Absolutely. I would be happy to help." I replied smiling. The man let out an enormous dramatic sigh.

"Thank you so much!"

"No problem. But... Could you maybe give me a little description of him? It would make it easier." I asked.

"Oh of course." He nodded. "His name is Cilan. He's probably wearing his waiter uniform, about your height, and he has spiked up short green hair." I stood still, painting his portrait in my mind.

"... What's with people and green hair these days?" I mumbled louder than I thought.

"Come again?"

"Oh, nothing!" I said adjusting my bag over my shoulder. I began to walk down the right side of the road. "I'll start looking around this way." I told him. I took a peek at my Xtranciever and switched to the Map application. According to the map, I was heading towards a place called the Dreamyard. I entered the gate of trees and observed the ruins before me.

There was a broken down lab complex in front of me. It's walls and ceilings had crumbled all around. The second floor of the largest building had completely been torn apart, and gaping holes could be seen in the building's floor.

"Awesome." I whispered. My Xtranciever suddenly started beeping. I held it up and pressed the screen.

"New Pokémon Types Detected." It read. I closed the screen and smirked.

"Even more awesome." I searched for a Pokeball in my bag, just in case I would need it, and moved forward. There were a few other trainers around the area, none were entering the lab though. It was probably dangerous, considering the instability of the building. I peeked through a crack in the wall and saw the interior. No Pokémon were within my sight but I could hear something somewhere. I really wanted to check it out... But I remembered my mission.

I backed away from the wall and continued walking. I wasn't too sure what I should do, so I just approached a nice looking young lass exploring the area.

"Excuse me, but I'm looking for someone. Think you could help me?" I asked. The young lady turned to me and smiled lightly.

"Why of course. How could I help?" She sounded so sweet.

"Well, he can't be too hard to miss with that green hair..." I muttered. Her eyes lit up.

"Oh! You must be talking about Cilan." She said. "Are you planning on challenging the Gym?"

"Ah, well yes I planned on it. But you see, someone assisting in the Gym said that he went somewhere and now I'm just looking for him." I explained.

"Well... I haven't seen him around here, but why not check the trainer school? Cilan likes to help out there when he gets a chance." She told me.

"Cool, thanks! I'll go there now." I turned and began walking away, but then the girl stopped me.

"Oh wait! You said you were challenging the Gym?" I nodded. "What kind of Pokémon do you have with you?"

"I have my Oshawott and a Lillipup." She began searching in her pocket.

"Oshawott you say... Then Cilan will challenge you." She pulled out a Pokeball and handed it out to me. I stared at her and raised an eyebrow. "At the Gym, one of the leaders will challenge you, but they will have Pokémon types with advantages over yours. You've got Oshawott, so Cilan will be the one to battle you. He's a grass user." I cringed. _Shoot, Oshawott won't be able to help much._ There was no way I could solely rely on Lillipup. The girl began speaking again. "In this Pokeball is a Pokémon called Pansear, a fire type." My ears perked up. _A fire type huh?_ She held it out to me again. "And I think you should have her!" She smiled innocently.

"A-are you sure? I mean... Isn't this your Pokémon?" I was confused, but tempted at the same time.

"I'm not much of a trainer. I don't think I could really bring these Pokémon to their full potential if I kept them." She looked a bit embarrassed. "I can tell you're a kind person, and I think she'll be more useful to you, and that she will enjoy her time much more." She said. I hesitated to reach out, but she took my hand and gently set the Pokeball in my palm.

"Thank you so much!" I said gratefully. "I promise I'll take very good care of her." She nodded once.

"I know you will. Good luck on your travels!" I turned and began walking again, bound for the trainer school this time. I was nearly skipping with excitement now that I had a new addition to my team. My gleaming blue eyes could barely pry away from the shiny Pokeball that was still in my hand. I paused in front of the trainer school and pressed the button to enlarge it. Then, I popped it open, releasing the white light that held my new Pokémon.

It landed on the pavement and I studied it, making sure to add it's data to my Dex. It was a little fire monkey basically. It looked up at me, wondering why I wasn't the same master she had before. I knelt to her size and cheerfully grinned.

"Nice to meet you Pansear. I'm White, your new trainer. I hope we can become friends." I told her. She continued to look, still unsure of what to do, but slowly nodded her head. At least I had been acknowledged. "Want to walk with me for a while?" I asked returning to my normal stature. This seemed to please her, and she nodded quicker in response. "Let's head inside here then." I noted the trainer school. We both hopped up to the steps leading to the front doors. I pushed one aside and gestured with my hand. "After you." Again, Pansear looked pleased. Maybe I would turn out to be a good trainer after all. She waddled inside and I followed closely behind, closing the door as I entered.

I observed the small school. A couple of kids were sitting at some desks in the corner, discussing types of status healers to purchase. In the middle of the aisle, two boys were

playing Water, Fire, Grass. A game similar to Rock, Paper, Scissors. And all the way across the room was Cheren, carefully studying the blackboard. I approached behind him and tapped his shoulder. He looked over and chuckled.

"Good to see you caught up." He joked. I rolled my eyes.

"I met up with Bianca on the way here. We battled." Cheren nodded a few times and adjusted his glasses.

"I know, she called me on the Xtranciever after you were finished." He nudged me. "Nice job by the way."

"Thanks." I pushed the brim of my hat up a bit and looked at the black board. There were different types of berries named next to status problems that they could cure. "So what are you doing here? Learning what to use in a parfait?" He glared at me as I smirked.

"Of course. And when I become the parfait master, you can't have any." He winked. I laughed lightly and looked down at Pansear.

"Oh this is Pansear. She's my new Pokémon." Cheren looked down and his eyes widened. Pansear clapped her paws together.

"A Pansear?" He whipped out his Dex and recorded the data. "Awesome... I thought you could only come across them in Pinwheel Forest. How did you get one?" I leaned back on a desk and flipped my ponytail.

"I just have skill , that's all." I could see the doubt on his face.

"Right." He drew out the word. I raised my arms and yawned, accidentally letting my bag slip off my shoulder.

"Shoot." I whispered. I bent down to grab it and came back up, seeing Cheren's face turn a shade of pink. Pansear was giggling. I eyed him. "What?" He coughed and pushed up his glasses.

"Couldn't you wear some shorts that wouldn't make your ass hang out like that?" He complained.

"H-hey!" I shrieked, immediately yanking my jean shorts down a little. I shoved my finger in his face accusingly. "Don't be looking in the first place!" He laughed. I regained my composure and remembered why I had come here to begin with. "Listen, I'm looking for that Gym leader. Cilan? Supposedly he's around here." Cheren nodded.

"You just missed him actually. Said he was heading back to the Gym now." I groaned. This had been a wild Ducklett chase. "Were you looking to challenge him too?" He asked.

"Yeah, that was the idea. I better go there now."

"Now wait a minute." He stopped me and smirked. "Let's have a little battle first. Why should Bianca have all the fun?" I rolled my eyes again. Pansear hugged my leg and looked up at me expectantly. I could tell she was ready for a battle.

"Well alright, but I don't plan to lose." I said pushing the desks back to give us some space. Cheren did the same and pulled out a Pokeball.

"We'll see about that."

* * *

_**And there you have it folks. White has a cute booty. I always dug her for that sense of style. Much more hardcore than the other heroines of Pokémon in my opinion! Chapter 3 will be up soon enough so stick with me! Please R&R~**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hello again! Chapter 3 has been born. Prepare yourself my friends, it's about to get nasty up in here. Will White be able to take down these mysterious new foes? We shall see... Enjoy!**_

* * *

"Don't give up Pansear!" I called out. She was struggling big time. My poor Lillipup had fainted from taking on the trainers before. Even Oshawott was weak from fighting. Pansear was my last hope against Cilan. We were both down to our final Pokémon. Even though his Pansage was a grass type and at a disadvantage, it was still giving Pansear a tough time. She staggered to stand up from the last attack Pansage inflicted.

"Don't feel bad if you lose, it is your first Gym battle after all." Cilan said, partially smirking. My face felt hot with rage. How dare he... After I won the battle against Cheren, I was sure I'd be able to take on a Gym easily. _Maybe I bit off more than I could chew..._ But that doesn't mean I would give up.

"Pansear, Fury Swipes!" I ordered. She began rushing forward, her nails held out offensively towards the grass monkey.

"Vine Whip! And constrict tightly!" Pansage threw out two large vines that wrapped around Pansear tightly. She cried out as they became tighter and tighter.

"No! Try to break free!" But there was no way she could. The vines were too strong, and she was quickly losing her energy. I had to think of something, anything... Idea! "Pansear, use Incinerate on the vines!" She slowly opened her mouth and shot flames down both of the vines. The flame traveled straight to Pansage, burning it severely. Cilan cringed.

"Quickly, put out the fires!" Pansage began rapidly patting it's skin, attempting to put the small fires out. Pansear was released from the vine's grasp.

"While it's distracted, Fury Swipes!" Again, Pansear ran forward, her claws prepared. She closed in and began raking her nails against the Pansage. It staggered backwards. "Now Incinerate!" She opened wide and more flames spewed out. They hit spot on, and Pansage flew back. When it landed, it didn't get back up. It was over.

I didn't know how to react. It was a rush... It felt great to take on one of the best, and win. I breathed out a laugh and clenched my fists. I felt alive. Pansear stumbled over to me, a small smile appearing across her face. I knelt down and hugged her tightly.

"You were amazing... Thank you so much." I pulled back and kissed her forehead. She squeaked happily. "I'll get you and the others fixed up right away." I withdrew her into the Pokeball and stood to face Cilan. He pressed his own Pokeball and sent Pansage back inside. I approached him and held out my hand as a sign of friendship. He smiled and took it firmly as we shook.

"You're a very talented trainer you know." He said releasing my hand. "The first Gym battle is never easy, especially when you're fighting at a disadvantage. But you played it smart. Even though Oshawott was the strongest, you knew it would be more difficult to take me on. So you sent out Pansear, the newest edition to your team. You knew she'd be able to win, you had faith in her." He explained. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small case. "You're a rare kind of trainer, and you impressed me. Which is why you are deserving of this." He pried open the little box, revealing a shiny Gym Badge with red, green and blue crystals. I took it gently in my hands and admired its beauty. My first Gym Badge... This might just be the best day ever.

I happily accepted my Badge and opened my own case. There were eight indentations, each designated for a distinct Gym Badge. My new Trio Badge fit perfectly inside the first spot. I stared longingly at the other empty spaces. Only seven more to go... I snapped my case shut and looked back to Cilan.

"That was a great battle." I said. "Thanks so much." He smiled cheerfully.

"Thank you, Miss White. You certainly kept me on my toes." Out of nowhere, my stomach decided to growl. I held it tight, embarrassed beyond belief. Cilan chuckled.

"Are you a bit hungry?" It growled again, as if to respond to his question. He laughed again and walked me over to a table. "Come. Sit down. I'll treat the victor to some fine cuisine before her journeys." He winked and pulled out a chair. I quickly sat down, practically begging to be fed.

"I really appreciate this." I told him. He ran his fingers through his green- ... Green - hair and laughed lightly.

"I promise I'll make this a meal you won't forget."

* * *

It had probably been one of the best meals of my life. Cilan and his two other siblings, Cress and Chilli, had served me well, and even packed me a few snacks for the road. Of course... Those snacks in the jar were almost gone already, and I haven't even left Striaton City yet. I sighed downing my last sweet treats and placing the empty jar in my bag. So much for food on the rest of the way to Nacrene City. I had already fully healed my Pokémon at the PokeCenter, so what to do now...

The Dreamyard had been enticing me. Maybe now would be the time to check it out. After that I could head towards Nacrene. So I walked along down the road until I reached the towering gate of trees again. I entered once more, seeing that all the trainers I saw earlier had gone home. I looked up at the bright orange sky. The sun was already setting so quickly, even in the summer. It would be dark soon. Even so, I crept through the crumbling walls of the lab and drew out a Pokeball. Then something, or someone, caught my attention.

"Ooooooo!" The voice moaned behind me. "I'm a spooky ghost Pokémon of the lab!" I rolled my eyes.

"Do you really think you can fool me Bianca?" I asked. She giggled and came into view.

"No, I guess not." She looked at the Pokeball in my hand. "Looking for some new teammates too huh?" I nodded.

"Yeah. I heard something around here earlier, so I figured I'd check it out after my Gym battle." I started walking forward, almost slipping into a massive hole in the floor. I looked up at Bianca. "We need to be really careful though. This place seems dangerous." I warned.

"Don't worry White, I'll protect you!" She announced, heroically pulling me to her side and scanning the area. We both laughed. We were friends for a lot of good reasons. Suddenly her laughter died down. She slightly let go of my arm and looked around. "Did you hear that?" I listened hard. Soon, a faint cry came to my ears.

"It sounds like a Pokémon." I replied. I kept quiet and looked around again. The sound was louder further in front of us. I pointed in the direction I heard it. "That way, let's go check it out." I began dragging her.

"O-okay. But we n-need to be careful remember?"

"Don't worry Bianca, I'll protect you!" I chanted like she had done. I heard her quietly giggle and smirked. She was so adorable. We continued walking until the cry was very close. All of a sudden, a tiny pink blob floated from behind one of the few remaining pillars of the building. We staggered back and observed it. It just sat - Um, levitated - there. It was floating maybe seven or so feet from us, just staring. Bianca and I both pulled out our PokeDex and recorded it's data. "Munna?" That's certainly something I haven't heard about. For something so cute and pink, it was weird to know that it was a Dream Eater Pokémon. Bianca peeked over my shoulder.

"It's actually really cute..." She pulled out her Pokeball. "I'm gonna try to catch it!" She began to creep forward, but stopped immediately as two figures emerged from the shadows. I pulled her away and back to my side. The figures came into better view. It was a man and a woman, both wearing the same, goofy looking outfit, and both had red hair under their hoods. They surrounded the Munna.

"Muu..." It cried low.

"Come on Munna! Spit out that Dream Mist!" The male shouted. Munna cowered in between them. Bianca held onto my shoulder and spoke up.

"Hey... What do you think you're doing to that Pokémon?" She questioned. The female turned to face us and glared hard.

"None of your business, little girl. Now beat it!" She ground her teeth. I narrowed my eyes. Something about this wasn't right at all. Those uniforms... They were familiar.

"You guys... You're a part of that Team Plasma aren't you?" I asked.

"That's right. We will liberate Pokémon from all trainers!" The male said. "And to do that... We need this Munna to give us Dream Mist!"

"With the Dream Mist, we can control people's dreams, and make them see our ideal world! We can make them release their Pokémon!" The female explained. Bianca looked at me, worried.

"Team Plasma..." She began whispering. "I hear they're dangerous White..." I looked back to the Plasma grunts.

"It won't just give it to us... Then we will use force!" The male grunt suddenly kicked the small pink blob. It cried out in pain. I jerked forward.

"What are you doing?! You're hurting it!" The girl smirked and landed another blow.

"Muuu... Na..." It whimpered. I yanked out Oshawott and Lillipup's Pokeballs.

"You rotten hypocrites! You say you want to liberate Pokémon from abusive trainers... Yet you hurt a defenseless Munna to achieve that goal? What the hell is wrong with you?!" I was getting really fired up now. Bianca still hung back but she cautiously took a step forward.

"Y-yeah! You can't do that!" She said. The female grunt rolled her eyes.

"Oh boo hoo. If it means we will reach the perfect world that Ghetsis and our King imagine, then we shall take desperate measures as we please!" She kicked Munna. That was the last straw.

"Oshawott, Lillipup, come out!" I tossed their Pokeballs into the air and released them. They took an offensive stance upon seeing the situation. Bianca tried to quickly pull out her own Pokeball.

"T-Tepig! You help too!" And then Tepig appeared on the battlefield too. They all growled. The grunts turned their attention away from Munna.

"If it's a battle you want, then you'll get a battle." The male said pulling out the red and white sphere. The female did the same.

"Patrat!"

"Purrloin!"

"Liepard!" They called, summoning their Pokémon to the field. A Liepard... Evolution of Purrloin. This battle may be tougher than expected. The female grunt smirked.

"Why don't you just back off now, little girls?" I clenched my fists.

"I will not back down... Not when it comes to the protection of Pokémon." I told them. I threw out my hand and began my orders. "Oshawott, Water Gun! Aim for Liepard! Lillipup use Take Down on Patrat!" I shot a glance to Bianca. "Try to keep Purrloin busy!" She nodded.

"Right! Flame Charge!" Tepig surrounded itself with a coat of fire and charged forward to take on the Purrloin. I tried to pay attention to everything around me. Lillipup successfully landed the hit on Patrat, but Liepard had dodged Oshawott's Water Gun.

"Liepard, Shadow Ball!" A dark blob was shot from Liepards mouth out at Oshawott. He

quickly jumped out of the way, but just barely.

"Patrat Focus Energy, then Bide! Hold your stance!"

"Lillipup Leer and then Take Down again! Oshawott use Water Gun across the floor!" Lillipup glared hard and broke Patrat's focus, then again landed a powerful hit, knocking it back. The water sprayed from Oshawott's mouth coated the tile floor of the lab, making it slippery.

"Fury Swipes Liepard!" The large cat began to rush forward, but slid on the slick tile and fell on it's side. "Get back up!" But it's paws continued to skid each time it tried.

"Slide on your belly towards it, then try Razor Shell!" He ran into the glassy surface for momentum and slid towards the fallen Liepard. Once close enough, he leapt into the air, removed his scalchop and sliced it across the Pokémon. "Yes!" It was the first time he tried that move in battle, and it was successful. Suddenly, my Lillipup was tossed back towards me. He slid across the floor and tried standing. While I was distracted, Patrat had hit him with a Bide, and it looked like it did a lot of damage.

"Hyper Beam!" I heard someone shout. I looked back over at Oshawott. The Liepard had still failed to stand back up, but it's mouth opened wide and I could see a bright, white light was forming within.

"Oshawott quickly-!" But it was too late. The beam shot out, directly impacting

Oshawott. I held my arms over my face. The force almost knocked me back as well. I could feel the remnants of the lab shaking under us. Like Lillipup, Oshawott was struggling to stand back up. I started to panic. "Come on... Get up! W-we can do it!" I pleaded. My Pokémon were in pain, it hurt so much to watch them keep fighting. I clenched my teeth and held back something wet in my eyes. "I... I know you can do it guys. I believe in you. You're strong, you're capable of this!" I nearly shouted.

Suddenly, two shining lights gathered around each of my Pokémon. It lasted only for a moment, but it was stunning. Soon, the lights faded away, and two new beings appeared before me. My mouth was agape. My Pokémon had evolved right in front of me. Where the little puppy had laid, there was now a Herdier. And where Oshawott stood, Dewott took his place. Their strength renewed, they prepared for battle once more. I grinned from ear to ear, but the battle wasn't over yet.

"Evolving huh? But that won't change a thing." The male said. "Patrat Bide again!"

"Liepard Shadow Ball!" I tried to focus hard.

"Herdier use Growl to break its Bide! Then Bite! Dewott Water Gun, then get close and Razor Shell!" I could hear Herdier snarl at Patrat, who shivered and lost his stored energy. Then a Pokémon's cry. Then the male grunt called out.

"Patrat no! Get back up!" But I could tell it was over. One more to go. The Liepard was building up the dark energy, preparing to shoot it out again. Dewott countered with a jet stream of water, more powerful than before. It sent the dark blob flying back at Liepard, causing it to stagger back. While it tried to regain it's composure, Dewott sped towards it, scalchops in his two paws. He sliced back and forth rapidly, causing a great deal of damage. The Liepard again tried to stay upright, but it was noticeably becoming harder.

"Come on you worthless Pokémon! Use Hyper Beam now!" The female shouted. Liepard hissed, but opened its mouth and prepared to fire the white light at us once more.

"Dewott, Razor Shell one more time! Throw your scalchop!" He removed the shell from his leg and prepared it like a throwing star. Then, with one flick of his wrist, it was sent flying through the air and smacked into Liepard. The final blow. Liepard fell over and didn't get back up. The scalchop came back to Dewott like a boomerang, and he placed it back on his leg. It was over. I snuck a glance at Bianca. Purrloin was finished as well, and Tepig stood by her side. I let out a sigh of relief. The grunts stared, taken aback by the fact that they were just beaten by kids. They withdrew their fainted Pokémon. The female gave us a look of disgust.

"Tch... I won't take this easy anymore." She drew out a sword from a sheath at her side. Bianca hurried over to me and stood close. "Eric, enough fooling around. Lets show them we mean business." The male, Eric, also took out a sword and pointed it at us.

"Let's take the one with brown hair first. She's more of a threat." He jerked his chin up at me. I took a step back and held my arm in front of Bianca in a protective stance. My other hand went into my bag and pulled out my Pokeballs.

"Return!" I called out taking back Dewott and Herdier. I looked at my friend. "Bring Tepig back in. I don't want anymore Pokémon being hurt." She nodded quickly and withdrew the fire pig. The Plasma grunts were drawing in closer.

"How noble of you. But now, no one can protect you." The female mocked. They were getting closer. I could hear Bianca whimpering behind me.

"Bianca... Run away from here, quickly." I instructed. She froze, then rapidly started shaking her head.

"No no n-no! I won't leave you White." She held my arm tightly. "We can get out of here together." I sighed. She was a good friend, staying by my side. But not at a time like this!

Out if nowhere, an eerie mist covered the area. We all looked around, wondering where it had come from. The grunts dropped their aggressive stances. A figure appeared in between the grunts and us. It was dark at first, but then I could see the oddly colored robe and grand stature. It... Couldn't be though...

"What do you two think you're doing?" The voice sent shivers down my spine. The grunts stopped dead in their tracks, and color slowly drained from their cheeks. "We, Team Plasma, need to liberate all Pokémon from trainers." ... Was it really him?

"G-gh-Ghetsis..." Eric croaked. "W-we-we were ju-just..."

"Silence!" Ghetsis boomed. "If you can't fulfill my wishes... Then..." He trailed off. The female looked like she was about to cry.

"We're s-so sorry Gh-Ghetsis. We will f-fix this. I-I-I swear it!" Ghetsis laughed evilly.

"You better... Or else. Now, be gone!" He ordered.

"Yes Sir!" The grunts said unanimously while bowing. Then they ran past us, and out of the Dreamyard. At least they were gone... But Ghetsis still stood in front of us. Bianca hugged me tightly. Then, I saw a little pink blob float by. Munna approached us.

"Muumuu!" It happily cheered. Ghetsis started fading away before our eyes. _It was an illusion?_ A larger floating blob appeared. It was bigger than Munna, and had a purple and pink body. I recorded it on my Dex. Musharna, the evolution of Munna. _So the Ghetsis we had seen was actually a dream?_ More like a nightmare really, created by Musharna to protect us and it's baby. I smiled lightly.

"Thank you Musharna. You saved us."

"Yeah! Thank you!" Bianca chimed in.

"Shaaaar..." It said. The Muuna cuddled close to it's parent. Then they turned and floated away into the night. A happy ending. The mist around us cleared and I saw something shiny on the ground.

"Hey, what's this?" I bent down and observed it. It was a sparkly, dust like material. "This is... The Dream Mist then..." I rummaged in my bag for the empty jar and filled it as much as I could with the magic dust. After capping it and putting it back in my bag for safekeeping, I stood next to Bianca again. "Are you alright?" I asked. She smiled and giggled.

"Yes. That was really fun! Dangerous, but fun! Thanks for being there for me." She hugged me.

"You too!" We pulled away and looked around. It had gotten pretty dark at this point.

"Maybe we should find some place to rest for the night. It's late now." She sighed and adjusted her bag.

"You go on ahead. I think I want to look for that Pokémon again, alright?" I still worried for her, but if she insisted. I began walking away but turned back to talk.

"Okay fine. But be careful alright? Don't get into any trouble!" I waved.

"No worries!" She called out with a huge toothy grin. Then I exited the Dreamyard, and began searching for a safe place to stay.

* * *

_**And there you have it, Chapter 3. It took quite a while to put out that battle scene, and I'm still a little sketchy about it. Hopefully you liked it though. And if you didn't, I'd certainly appreciate some advice! So R&R fellow readers and writers! Keep the creativity flowing.~ Chapter 4 will be up soon!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hello hello! Chapter 4 is up my friends. Be prepared for a lot of Pokémon noises in this one. They make sense I promise! Please enjoy~**_

* * *

"White. Come on wake up. It's time to go." I was barely awake, but I could feel Cheren lightly nudging my arm to get me up. I moaned and flipped onto my stomach.

"A few more minutes..." I muttered, pulling the covers of my makeshift bed over my face. I had met up with Cheren on my way back from the Dreamyard. We were both exceedingly tired, and figured we should ask someone along the road to stay for the night. Luckily, just outside of town was a cute little daycare. They took us in and let us sleep on some cots. It wasn't really all that comfortable, but at least it was something. Cheren tugged at my blanket.

"What are you, five? Let's get going." I pushed him away and sat up, yawning loudly and rubbing my eyes.

"Shut up. I'm just tired. It's early and I didn't get a lot of sleep last night." I grabbed my pink and white hat and placed it on my head, leaving my hair down instead of pulling it up. Likewise, Cheren picked up his glasses and placed them on his nose. He ran his fingers through his hair once.

"Why not?" He questioned. I glared at him.

"You sing in your sleep." The color drained from his face. He coughed and slipped his blue jacket on, rolling up the sleeves.

"No way..." He mumbled. I got closer in his face and started to imitate his sleep song.

"I want to be~ the very best~ like no one ever was~!" His face became a deep shade of red and he pushed me away this time. I started to laugh.

"Shut up..." He pushed himself off the floor, then pulled me up as well. "Grab your stuff. Let's go." He ordered. I stuck my tongue out at him, but grabbed my bag and slipped my black boots on. We thanked the daycare assistants for allowing us to stay, then continued down Route 3 together. Cheren had acquired the Trio badge as well. Not surprised though, he was still a skilled trainer even if he lost to me. I told him about mine and Bianca's encounter with Team Plasma last night. That's when he started lecturing me about danger and blah blah blah. I tuned most of it out. For the protection of Pokémon, I would take on as much danger as I needed. If that meant putting myself at risk, so be it.

We each bragged about our progress with Pokémon. Two of mine had evolved, only Snivy had for him. Perhaps I was improving more than him. That would really be a first.

We continued towards Nacrene, passing a few trainers on the road. At one point, a young school kid named Al provoked Cheren enough to make him battle. How in the name of Arceus could Cheren let a kid like that get on his nerves? I rolled my eyes.

"I think I'll head over here and check out what kind of Pokémon there are." I informed him. He waved me off and quickly turned back to Al.

"Yeah yeah, I'll see you later White... What did you just say you little smart mouth?!" I could hear the fire in his voice as he shouted, and had to hold my hand over my mouth to keep from busting. _What a temper he has!_ But that was still good old Cheren.

I started walking through the tall grass where most Pokémon hid. Through my efforts of wading in the brush, I came across nothing I hadn't seen before. I did catch sight of a Pidove in a branch, but when I tried to approach, it flapped away. That also alerted every other Pokémon in the area that a trainer was nearby. Hence, my chances of adding a new teammate were greatly diminished. I groaned out loud and hung my head. Why was this so difficult? I turned back in defeat and prepared to just take the rest of the journey to Nacrene. As I faced the road ahead, I saw a lone figure standing before me. I could hear my Xtranciever chirping about a new Pokémon type nearby, but it was blocked out by the image I saw.

Standing a few yards in front of me was a grand creature. It's cerulean eyes penetrated deep into mine. It held it's head high, like it knew it had a place over me. _Arrogance... Perhaps it challenged me?_ It was the only Pokémon that hadn't run away when all the others did. It snorted once and began walking towards me. It was definitely a female, I could tell by the way she moved. One hoof placed slightly crossed in front of the other. Her rear end swayed slowly from side to side, even her little white tail did. Her body black as night, those white stripes stood out. She was simply... Magnificent.

I slipped Pansear's Pokeball out of my bag, preparing to take on the majestic creature. It stopped a few feet in front of me and glowered, waiting for my move.

"Pansear, let's go!" I called out. The fire monkey came onto the field. The Blitzle sneered. Challenge accepted. I didn't want to catch any of the surrounding area on fire, so I would stick with regular physical attacks for now. "Fury Swipes!" Pansear charged forward, her claws held out offensively. Blitzle suddenly started moving, really fast. I could hardly tell which way she was going. Pansear tried to lock on the target, but missed each time she tried to attack. Blitzle then smashed hard into Pansear. She quickly recovered. "Leer! Then Scratch!" I ordered. She growled low and sharply glared into it's eyes, making it lose it's focus and shift from one hoof to the other. Then, Pansear burst forward and raked her sharp claws across Blitzle's chest. The Blitzle panicked and stomped her hooves, trying to keep Pansear away, and almost crushing her. Blitzle's white stripes began glowing yellow. She was preparing for an electric attack. "Pansear be ready to dodge!" A lightning bolt shot out directly at her. There wasn't even time to dodge, it struck Pansear. She twitched as the electricity ran through her body. "Shake it off! Use Scratch again!" Pansear tried to strike forward again, but each time she tried to move her body froze up. _Paralysis..._ She would have trouble moving. Now what... Idea! "Pansear, crouch low into the grass!" She could barely move, but ducked into the grass and disappeared. Blitzle flicked her eyes back and forth, desperately trying to spot her. Even I could barely see where she was. But a flash of her red fur caught my attention. She was inching closer to Blitzle. As soon as I was sure she was close enough, I shouted my order. "Jump out and use Lick!" Pansear popped out of the brush and grabbed onto Blitzle's snout. She stuck a long tongue out and licked the front of her face, then hopped off. Blitzle stood, shaking, her mouth agape. She was stunned. "Fury Swipes!" Pansear was still suffering from paralysis but she continuously started clawing at Blitzle anywhere she could. Blitzle's knees started bending, she was getting weak. Her stripes started to glow once more, indicating another electric attack. I had to find some way to finish this. "Yawn now!" Pansear opened wide and yawned out a translucent pink cloud that sluggishly flew into Blitzle's face. She started getting wobbly and her glowing started to fade. She tried to keep her eyes open, but the drowsiness took over. This was my chance. "Pokeball go!" I whipped it out and it enclosed the Blitzle inside. I held my breath watching the ball pulse and roll across the ground. And then the circle in the middle turned red. She was mine.

I let out a huge sigh of relief and picked up the Pokeball. _Awesome... New teammate!_

Pansear waddled over to my side and wrapped around my leg. I patted her head.

"You were fantastic. Rest now." I said withdrawing her into her own Pokeball. I would heal the both of them once I reached Nacrene. I carefully placed the spheres in my bag and continued walking down the road with a sincerely satisfied feeling. I would be great some day...

* * *

"Your Pokémon have been restored to full health." Nurse Joy said cheerfully. She handed me my Pokeballs. "Please take care of yourself now!" She chimed. I placed them back in my bag.

"Thank you!" And then walked out of the PokeCenter. Nacrene City was so unique. It just looked like a bunch of warehouses, but the insides of each one were special and had different tastes from one another. It was really cool. There was also a museum to check out at the northernmost part of town, and in the back was the next Pokémon Gym. Definitely the place to go. So I strode, happy, confident, and humming a little tune, towards the huge white building. Everything was peachy keen as I approached the grand entrance... Until I stopped paying attention and bumped right into someone. "Oof." I grunted. I mentally kicked my ass. How clumsy could I be? I backed away and rubbed my forehead. "Really sorry about that..." I apologized.

"No trouble at all." The victim stated._ Wait... His voice sounds oddly familiar._ I looked him over and recognized N. I wasn't too sure how to feel about running into this guy again. Friend or Foe?

"Uh..." I started. What the heck? I couldn't just ignore him. He stood there, waiting for my response, and making me feel just a bit awkward. "Hey N. What are you doing here?" _Neutral question. Score one for White._ He looked pleased that I asked.

"Conducting some research. There is evidence that the dragon Pokémon's bones in here could be crucial to experiments we're conducting. It's also possible there is a key item that is of dire need to my colleagues... How to obtain it is the trouble but perhaps I can arrange something at some point." I held up my hand.

"N. Slow down. Give yourself some room to breathe." He blinked.

"Does my talking speed displease you?" He questioned. I shook my head.

"What? N-no." I was so confused. "It's just hard to understand..." But I did remember a bit of his last sentence. "We're you suggesting to steal something from the museum?" He blinked again with that blank face.

"If it is needed, then yes." He said plainly.

"You can't steal things like that." He cocked his head and his jade eyes widened.

"Why not? If I need it." Was he serious? I shook my head again.

"Because stealing is wrong! Those things are property of the museum. They need them too. Even if it's not for some critical research. It belongs to them." I explained. I felt like I was lecturing a child. He paused for a moment and thought about my words.

"Stealing is... Wrong..." He repeated what I said like he had never been taught before.

"Taking things is... Wrong... Even if I need it..." He furrowed his brow and closed his eyes hard, like he was thinking of a painful memory. He clenched and unclenched his fists angrily.

"N?" I wasn't sure what was happening. His hands flew up against his ears and he pressed hard. His teeth were grinding against each other. "N! Stop!" I commanded. He kept shaking his head back and forth. I reached up and grasped his hands firmly and got closer to his face. I spoke as gently as I could. "N... It's okay. Whatever it is, it's okay." I said softly. "Stop this. Calm down." I could feel his hands slowly lose tension. His head stopped shaking and his jaw finally relaxed. We stood there a moment, breathing, recuperating. I brought his hands down from his ears and continued to hold them. "Are you alright?" I whispered. He trembled once but nodded and opened his eyes. They were red, like he was about to cry. He seemed so... Innocent. I... Had to hug him. I had to. So I embraced him lightly. He froze. He didn't move, like he didn't know what to do. He didn't hug back, so I released him. He looked confused and intrigued at the same time. He played with the cube at his waist and avoided eye contact with me. I backed away and cleared my throat. "As long as you're okay now..." I began to walk past him towards the museum entrance.

"Wait." He stopped me. I turned back. "Battle me." And that's when my mind gave up on understanding him. I raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? You don't seem to be feeling well today."

"The possibility of going through another episode like that is highly unlikely. This battle, only created by my need for knowledge, will certainly calm myself." He stared at me with pleading eyes and an expressionless face. "I must know... I must understand the truth of Pokémon's feelings. The ideals of trainers and how they should be. I wish to see the future, what the world would be like where Pokémon are perfect beings." He told me. "White... Do you feel the same?" I attempted to understand his words, put myself where he stood and see things the way that he did. A world where Pokémon have become perfect... No suffering, all living in harmony. It sounded... Glorious.

"I can see it..." I said slowly nodding. N slipped a Pokeball out of his pocket.

"Let my friends and I test you." I gave a smirk and one more nod. We backed away from each other to give our Pokémon room. Then I took out Blitzle's Pokeball. It would be the perfect time to train her up.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Let us begin."

"Go Blitzle!"

"Pidove! Let's go!" Perfect. An electric had an advantage over flying types.

"Blitzle, Shock Wave!" I ordered throwing out my hand. I expected to see her stripes start glowing and the electricity charging, but I didn't. "... Shock Wave!" I called out again. Still nothing. Blitzle snorted and turned her head away from me. _Aw come on..._

"Gust now!" The tiny pigeon flapped its wings furiously. Wind and debris started to pick up and circle around Blitzle, causing her to flinch slightly. It wasn't very effective.

"Quick Attack!" Still no response. Why wouldn't she battle for me? She stomped her hoof down. "Please Blitzle? I need your help!" I implored. She was a tough cookie, but I wouldn't give up yet.

"Air Cutter!" The Pidove flew around Blitzle, throwing out a razor like wind that cut her up pretty badly. She cringed this time. A critical hit...

"Blitzle, stay strong!" I called out. She shot a glance back at me. I could see it in her eyes... Something told me she wouldn't fight another Pokémon. I looked back up at N. he stopped giving commands to his Pidove.

"This Blitzle..." He began. She looked up at him and grunted aggressively. He held up his hands. "Don't worry, I understand." Her aggressive sneer faded away, and she held up her head with curiosity. N began walking forward. Blitzle took a cautious step back. "You don't like fighting do you?"

"Zle... Bliblitz!" She replied.

"What is she saying?" I asked. N translated for me.

"She despises having to battle."

"Blitzle blitz."

"The only reason she fought you was because she wanted to protect the other Pokémon of the area from you. She didn't want them to be captured." Blitzle turned on me.

"Zle! Zle blitz!" N made eye contact with me.

"They were her friends. And you took her away from that." I took it all in. For the first time, a Pokémon was unhappy being with me. I had a horrible feeling inside my stomach.

"I... I..." I stammered out. I swallowed hard. "Is th-that so then..." I felt like crying. I looked into Blitzle's beautiful cerulean eyes. "I'm so sorry, Blitzle. I'm just a trainer. When I saw you, I just thought that you were so magnificent, such a proud looking Pokémon... I wanted you on my team." I let out a sigh. "That was very selfish of me, to take you from your home." Blitzle snorted, but her eyes looked softer. "It's my dream to be around different kinds of Pokémon, and experience new things with each of them." I sniffled a bit, and tried to keep those pathetic wet things from falling out of my eyes. "I see now... It wasn't your choice to travel with me. If it really does make you that unhappy, then I'll release you." I held her Pokeball in my hand and shrunk it down, preparing to crush it. It was silent for a while. I hesitated to close my palm around the Pokeball, but then made up my mind. I took a breath in, but stopped short as I heard hooves clicking on the road. Blitzle approached me. She looked into my eyes and then whinnied quietly. She rested her head on my shoulder. I didn't understand...

"She wishes to stay with you." N said suddenly closer to us. I blinked a few times, and then let out my breath. I reached up and gently pet her white mane.

"I promise... I will be a good trainer for you." I whispered into her ear. She stomped her hoof once and nuzzled close to my face. I laughed lightly and gave her a small kiss on her snout. She neighed happily and stepped back. "I won't make you battle. You can rest now." I withdrew her back into the ball. I wiped my eyes to get rid of any remaining wetness. The Pidove had disappeared. "Did you release it?" I asked N.

"Yes." He studied me. "What you did there... It made Blitzle truly happy. I was surprised that she chose to stay with you." He put his finger to his chin. "I am not yet sure how this will play out... The future is still to be determined." It seemed like he was talking more to himself than me. "This equation keeps becoming more complex each time I meet you... I see something different from studying it... Perhaps I can't solve this particular equation."

"What are you talking about?" I asked confused as always. He shook his head.

"It is not yet time to discuss such things. For now I must seek out more power to make people understand... Understand like you seemingly do." He looked hard into my eyes. It made me feel uneasy. "I really do hope that there will be no trouble. You are an interesting specimen. Someone who may truly see the way I do." I swallowed hard. He was talking nonsense... And it was a little scary. His tone suddenly changed. "What you did to Blitzle... That thing that you did. You did it to Oshawott in Accumula Town too. What... What was it?" He asked, incredibly interested. I really didn't know what he was talking about.

"Um... What do you mean? What thing?" His eyes got wider and sort of greener.

"The one thing... It made them so happy. You used your lips." Did he mean a kiss?

"When I gave them a kiss?" He nodded. "What about it?"

"What is it? Why does it make them so happy?" Was he serious?

"You don't know what a kiss is?" He shook his head. I struggled to explain. "Well... I mean... It's just... I don't know. It's hard to explain." I started fidgeting. This was really awkward for some reason. "It's a show of affection, and it's... Ah..." I stopped as I heard something beeping. N held up his wrist and looked at his Xtranciever. He quickly put his hand down.

"I must bid you farewell for now." He raised his hand and started backing away. "I do hope we can meet again." And then he was gone. I paused, trying to take it all in. Then I put my hands on my head and just groaned out loud. This guy was seriously messing me up, and I had no clue why. I let out a huge breath and tried to calm down.

I turned to the museum. Surely taking on the Gym would get my mind off his confusing words. I thought so at least. And then there was a massive explosion heard inside the building.

"... Great."

* * *

**_Tah Dah ~ There you have it. What will happen next? Who knows? (I do) I'm totally fascinated with N. His mind is just interesting to me. Please keep on reading readers! Chapter 5 is coming up next. Please R&R!_**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Hoy my friends! Chapter 5 is alive and well. This is actually my favorite so far. I really loved writing this so I hope you enjoy reading it! Onward!_**

* * *

"What's going on?!" I called out attempting to rush into the museum. I got close to the front doors, but then they exploded open and I was sent back skidding onto the road. A thick cloud of smoke flew out and practically blinded me. I got up on all fours and tried to see anything I could. Three or four figures came out of the front doors, followed by a few more that were carrying something big and then four more behind them. It was a robbery. "H-hey! Stop!" I shouted, accidentally inhaling the smoke and coughing violently. I tried to push myself up, but failed trying to catch my breath. More coughing. They were getting away...

"Come on!" I heard a male voice seemingly close say. Someone grabbed under my stomach and pulled me up. He yanked me out of the thick cloud and to a clear space where I could breathe. I didn't even think to thank the person. I hunched over and started coughing a little more, trying to force that horrible black stuff out of my lungs. Someone's hand was rubbing my back gently. "Just breathe." He instructed. My coughing slowly died down and switched to heavy breathing. My arms and legs felt bruised and scratched from that fall. I stood straight again and took one more deep breath. "Are you alright?" He asked. I turned to face him, and almost lost my breath again.

It was a boy, probably around my age, seventeen or so. He had short brown hair that stuck out from under his red hat, and really pretty brown eyes..._ He's cute..._ What the heck was I thinking? I shook my head and fully regained my composure.

"I'm fine. They're getting away." I turned and started running in the direction they had. The boy grabbed my wrist and held me there.

"Woah stop!" He ordered pulling me back. "You're a little weak right now. The Gym leader and I will take care of this. Just hang back." The smoke had died down. A larger, muscular woman with fluffy black hair and beautiful dark skin came running from the museum. She approached us.

"Black, they stole it. They stole it right in front of everyone." I could hear the fury in her voice. The boy, Black, held his hands up in a calming manner.

"I know. Don't worry Lenora, we won't let that Team Plasma get away with this." So it was Team Plasma behind it...

"What did they steal?" I asked. Lenora shook her head.

"They took a part of our most impressive exhibit... They took our dragon skull." She explained. Dragon skull... It was what N had talked about. He couldn't have been involved though, could he? I continued to pay attention to Lenora. "I don't know why they took it. Those lunatics just appeared out of nowhere and ran off! I have no clue where they went."

"They couldn't have gone far with that heavy skull..." Black said. He turned to me. "Did you see which way they went?" I nodded and pointed past the little café on the left side of the museum.

"They all ran that way. Out of town towards those trees." I said. Black nodded.

"Let's go Lenora! Towards Pinwheel Forest!" Lenora nodded and they took off. No way I was getting left behind though, so I followed closely. We all entered a dark opening that led into a beautiful forest. There were trees surrounding us and a large road that must've led to Skyarrow Bridge. "This way, we'll block them off before they can get to the bridge." He turned and said to Lenora. He noticed me creeping in the back. "Hey I said to hang back! This is no time for games. It's serious." He scolded. I glared. Maybe his pretty face was just masking that rudeness. I was fully capable of taking on a situation like this.

"Honey, you might want to listen. These Plasma members can be very dangerous. No one needs to get hurt." She told me. I huffed a little, but hesitantly agreed. Then they both ran down the main road. _This sucks._ I kicked the ground and fixed my hair a bit. I could be useful. I've dealt with Plasma before, it can't be much different. To the left of the main road was a little side path that lead through the inner parts of the forest. It could hardly be seen, a lot of the brush covered it. Maybe a walk in the forest would calm my mind. So I pushed through the bushes and got on the path. I walked a while, admiring the area. A bit of light got through the thick trees once in a while and made the flora look like it glowed. I got one or two Pokémon's data on my Dex. It was really a lush, peaceful place. Then I heard some voices. I crept behind a tree and peeked around the trunk to see two Plasma grunts.

"Man, what are we supposed to do now?" One male said. The other shrugged.

"They said to keep watch. Veronica sent some grunts towards Skyarrow Bridge to keep Gym leader Lenora and that kid busy, while Eric hauled the skull over to a grove. She said we were just waiting for Gorm now. He's going to bring some backup to transport it."

_So that was their plan..._ And Black and Lenora would never find out. I should sneak out and go tell them... But would it be too late then? I took matters into my own hands. I slipped Dewott and Herdier's Pokeballs out of my bag. This would be interesting.

* * *

I had battled my way through the forest. And then I came across a clear little grove at the end of the path where the man who must've been Eric paced. Behind him was the large dragon skull. I was furious from taking on so many trainers, and not in the mood for any more trouble. I threw out my hand at Eric.

"You there!" I shouted. He turned, startled. "Hand over that dragon skull!" Eric studied me and laughed.

"You're that runt from the Dreamyard! You got lucky last time... But this time is different." He started taking a Pokeball out of his pocket.

"Oh no you don't!" I yelled. He stopped. I took a deep breath in. "I just battled like three of your guys back there, and like four random rangers that popped out of freaking nowhere. I'm exhausted, my Pokémon are exhausted. If you dare to pick a Pokémon battle, so help me Arceus, I will utterly kick your ass!" I was way too fired up now. He stared at me for a moment, then chuckled again.

"Hah! That means you're weak! My Pokémon and I will take you out easily now!" He readied his Pokeball. "Prepare to-" I stomped up to him and glared with intense rage. Then punched him square in the face.

"NO!" I screeched. He fell over immediately and started rolling on the ground.

"Ow ow!" He shrieked like a girl. "I think you broke my nose!" I planted my foot on his chest and pressed hard. His nose was definitely gushing blood.

"That's what you get! Don't EVER get on my nerves again, you hear?!" He whimpered and nodded. I removed my foot and he stumbled to stand. "Now get your friends, and get the hell out!" I commanded. I heard a small clapping noise behind me. I turned to face an older man with a white beard. He was dressed in a strange robe and wore a funny looking hat. It almost reminded me of Ghetsis. He slowly approached, still clapping sarcastically.

"Lovely performance Miss White." And he knew my name. Creepy level increased by ten. He circled me. "You've successfully defeated my minions, and you've located the dragon skull." I eyed him suspiciously. Eric trembled and bowed low.

"G-Gorm of the Seven Sages... I a-apologize. I-" Gorm raised his hand.

"Silence. It is of no matter. This skull is not what we are looking for. Miss White may take it back if she pleases. But..." He countered. "It seems she may be a wrench in our plans." He turned and gave me a look that made me freeze. "Interference will not be tolerated. It is best that I punish you." I clenched my teeth and started to take out Dewott's Pokeball. Gorm looked at Eric and held out his hand. "Give me your sword." Eric fumbled to pull it out of the sheath and handed it to him. He held it out to the side and prepared to swing at me.

"Stop!" A familiar male voice called. Black climbed over a tiny ledge and ran into the clearing with Lenora close at his side. A Carracosta stood beside Black in an offensive stance while a Watchog crouched low next to Lenora. They were each ready to fight. Gorm looked at them, then back at me. "It's over. Give us back the skull." Gorm stifled a laugh and handed the sword back to Eric who sheathed it.

"I see... Well I don't have the strength to take on the three of you. But it is of no matter, as I said. We no longer require the skull. You may take it back." Lenora stepped forward.

"You and your associates are under arrest." Gorm laughed out loud.

"I think not. Eric! The smoke ball!" Crap not again. Eric threw down a glass ball that shattered across the ground and released an unbelievable amount of smoke that surrounded the area. We all started coughing and our eyes watered. This smoke cleared up much quicker than the other from the museum. Even so, when it drifted away, Gorm and Eric had disappeared. All that was left was the dragon skull. Black and I sighed unanimously.

"They got away..." He said withdrawing Carracosta. I nodded.

"But at least we got the dragon skull back." I said trying to look on the bright side. Lenora withdrew Watchog and walked up the large skull. She inspected it, running her finger over every inch. She pulled back and let out a relieved breath.

"Still in perfect condition." She heaved the skull up into her arms with a strength that came from nowhere. "I'll take this back to the museum." I scratched my head.

"Uh, are you sure you can carry that all the way back? It seems heavy." I questioned. She waved me off with one hand while the other still held the skull firmly. I guess not.

"Oh no honey, everything is fine. I've got it. And great job there getting this skull back. I owe you! I look forward to you challenging my Gym." She smiled cheerfully and started back to the museum. "Goodbye my sweethearts!" And she was gone. I was left alone with Black.

"Um..." He began rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry I doubted you..." He was blushing a little. I giggled. He was really cute.

"It's alright. Seemed like you had good intentions." I assured him. He chuckled and lightened up.

"Hey, I never caught your name. Mine is Black." He held out his hand. I took it and shook.

"I'm White." I just noticed something. "Huh, it's a little funny with our names, don't you think?" He thought about it.

"Oh yeah!" He grinned, showing his shiny white teeth. "That's an awesome coincidence. And you know, opposites do attract." He winked. I put my other fingers to my lip, since our hands were still connected, and lightly giggled. Nice move. We released hands. "I should get going. I have a few things to do in Nacrene. So, maybe I'll see you again?" He asked. I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah I hope so." I flipped my hair, just for that little last flirt effect. He turned and started to go, but looked back and tipped his hat.

"So do I." And then he was gone too. I was completely alone now. I was also totally exhausted. So much had already happened today. Was I really in any condition to challenge the Gym? I moaned and plopped down onto the cool grass. It felt really refreshing... I laid on the ground, feeling the lush, green grass and breathing in the earth. I pulled my knees into my chest. My eyes started to flutter. I was tired...

* * *

I yawned quietly and slowly pried open my eyes. I continued to lay there. It was a nice nap. My energy was replenished. Maybe I should sleep on the forest floor more often. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, then looked around. It must have been about-

"AHHHHH!" I shrieked coming face to face with N's green eyes. I put my hand to my chest and breathed heavily. _I almost had a heart attack!_ "Arceus bless it, you could've killed me!" He blinked with that blank face he usually had. He was kneeling next to me. Was he watching me sleep?! "How long have you been here?"

"Perhaps ten minutes." He told me. Right, not an ounce of creepy there. I rubbed my forehead.

"N, that's weird." Again, I felt like I was talking to a child. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you. I saw you sleeping here and I didn't wish to disturb you, so I waited." He paused. "You are very peaceful when you sleep." I rolled my eyes. He was so strange. I sat up on my knees and faced him.

"Okay, well you said you were looking for me. What did you need?" I asked. His eyes lit up.

"I want you to show me that thing." I raised an eyebrow.

"What thing? Be more specific." He leaned in closer, like an eager little kid.

"You know, that thing that you told me about earlier." What was he talking about? I wracked my brain, attempting to remember our conversation earlier near the museum...

_Does he mean that?!_ My face felt hot.

"What... A kiss? You want me to kiss you?!" He clapped his hands.

"Yes yes that thing! The thing that made the Pokémon so happy. Does it make everyone happy? Does it work on humans too?" I was at a total loss for words.

"I-I uh, I don't know! But I can't just kiss you!" I protested. He cocked his head.

"Why not?" He looked hurt. Was he really that upset? I shifted a bit, seriously uncomfortable discussing this.

"Well..." I guess I would try to explain this to him. "A kiss is something very special. It shows someone you care a lot about them, and that you love them dearly. Especially a kiss on the lips. You don't just give kisses to anyone. It's very personal... Very..." I trailed off. I had never been kissed before. It was weird explaining it when I had never experienced a kiss myself. But that didn't mean I would kiss someone I hardly knew! N thought hard, his brow furrowed.

"It means that many things... It makes Pokémon so happy. So it works for people too?" He asked excitedly.

"I... Don't know." I admitted.

"Show me." I froze.

"I'm not going to kiss you! I barely know you! No way..." I turned my face away to hide the pinkness in my cheeks.

"Please? I must know what it is like! If on the lips is too special like you say, then do it somewhere else. I need to know... Please show me." He begged. I turned back to him. His hands were folded over each other and his sad eyes penetrated through mine. He looked like a lonely Pokémon, and it tugged at my heart a bit. I took a deep breath. _What am I doing?_ I placed both my hands against his pale cheeks and stared into those deep jade eyes, feeling the heat in my face. I sat up higher on my knees since he was still a head taller than me even sitting down. And then I lightly kissed his forehead. I stayed there for a minute. It was different than when I kissed my Pokémon. But... I wasn't sure why. I fell back down onto my legs and avoided looking into his eyes. He said nothing. Then I looked up and saw his face. It wasn't blank like normal, he looked utterly stunned. His lips were slightly parted and his eyes held a confusion in them. _Did I do something wrong?_

"Um... That is all." I said, unsure of what to do next.

"This information is new to me... My analysis is still in progress. I apologize for my silence." He sounded like a computer. "Thank you, White." I stared at him.

"N, you can't treat everything like an equation. Feelings aren't like mathematics, it's something inside of your heart, not your mind." I tried to tell him. He raised his eyebrow.

"I don't understand..." He said. He put his hand to his chest. "I feel a warmth. Is that the feeling you spoke of?" Again, loss for words. I dropped my eyes.

"I don't know." This situation was getting even more awkward. I pushed myself up. N did as well. He looked down at me.

"Thank you, White. I think I feel... Happy. Like the Pokémon." He gave me a bright smile. It was... A great smile. "I think I will show my friends this too!" I laughed at that. I pictured the green haired boy kissing everyone he saw. It made me feel a little better. N's Xtranciever beeped. He took a look and quickly put his wrist down again. "I must go." He started walking towards the trees. I weakly waved.

"I'll see you around then. Bye." I said. He held up his hand as a farewell.

"I will see you as well. Goodbye." I was alone... Again. He was so strange, and he frustrated me greatly. It was like he didn't understand anything normal. But still, he was an intriguing young man. He was definitely weird though. I stood in the quiet forest for a while longer, then decided I would go back to Nacrene. I was ready now, ready to take on Lenora. One thing was lingering on my mind though as I slid over the ledge and walked down the main road. It was silly, but it was embedded in my brain.

I sort of just had my first kiss.

* * *

**_Tee hee hee... And so it begins. Who will end up winning White's heart? Who knows? (I do). Let me know what you think my fellow readers and writers! Chapter 6 is on it's way So please R&R~_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Hellooooo~ Behold, chapter 6! I introduce my personal favorite character in this one. (But I don't think you'll find that out until chapter 7 :P) Anyways this took a little time trying to set everything up and all. I hope you enjoy it all the same! Proceed!**_

* * *

After my odd encounters today, I was a little off my game. I had Lenora down to her final Pokémon and was currently trying to land my last hit. One more was all it would take, but that Watchog kept dodging every attack. Dewott was becoming tired. He couldn't keep up with it. Pansear had fainted, and that left Herdier and Blitzle. But Herdier was tired from earlier battles, and I didn't want to make Blitzle fight. Watchog slammed into Dewott and sent him flying into one of the bookshelves that lined the walls.

"Dewott no! You've got to hang in there!" I called out. The poor injured sea otter managed to push himself back up. Watchog loomed in front of him.

"Leer!" Lenora shouted. It shot a deadly glare into Dewott's eyes, making him freeze. "Retaliate!" It rushed at him, ready to strike.

"Dewott! You can break the Leer! Use Razor Shell!" I could see his frustration in breaking it, but he did. He grasped his sharp scalchop and readied himself for one more deadly blow. This would be the last attack. As Watchog neared, Dewott rushed forward and leapt into the air, narrowly escaping the attack. He thrust downward and sliced rapidly at the enemy, who screeched out loud with every infliction. Dewott flipped back and breathed heavily. I clenched my hands, watching as Watchog stumbled to stand, and then collapsed again. It was finished.

I jumped up and threw my fist in the air. _We did it!_ I rushed up to the relieved sea otter and hugged him hard.

"Oh thank you so much! I knew you could do it. You were the best out there... Thank you!" I kissed his forehead. He purred happily and snuggled into my hug. I beamed. He had done amazing, seeing him so happy made me feel great inside. "That was awesome. Rest now." And I withdrew him into the Pokeball. I placed it back in my pink bag and turned to face Lenora. She had one hand on her hip and the other held a tiny case. She had a huge white grin that stood out against her dark skin tone. I approached. She chuckled a bit.

"Haha! That look on your face, it's priceless. That satisfied, proud look. You really are a true trainer." She popped open the case, revealing the Gym Badge inside. "Which is why it's an honor to present you with this Basic Badge." I carefully removed it from the lavish case, admiring the purple stone. I pulled out my own case and opened it, then placed it in it's designated spot right next to my Trio Badge. I ran my finger over the shining token. My second Gym Badge... Six more to go. I snapped it shut and looked back up to Lenora.

"That was a great battle." I looked around us. The shelves surrounding our battle area that held the books were... Partially destroyed. The battle was a little more rough than I expected. Books and a few broken wooden boards littered the outer area. I rubbed the back of my head. "I'm um... Terribly sorry about your research area. I can clean it up." She gave another hearty laugh and grasped my shoulder.

"Don't worry dear! It's no trouble at all! I'll take care of it. And I must say... That was the most interesting battle I've had. Almost as interesting as taking on Black!" _Oh, that kid had challenged her too?_

"Oh? Is that why he was here? His second Gym battle too, huh?" I asked. She looked at me quizzically.

"Why, no! Of course not! He and I were just catching up. We battled such a long time ago, he's become so much stronger now. He battled the Elite Four just a few days ago. Alder sure did give him a run for his money! That child gave him one heck of a battle! He's in the Hall of Champions now though. And to think, he was such a silly boy when I first met him." She shook her head, smiling at her fond memories. I stopped breathing for a moment. I recognized Alder's name... He was the current Grand Champion of Unova. _Black had taken him on a few days ago and... He won? So that would mean..._

"Black is a Champion Pokémon trainer..." I breathed. I thought some more... _AND I TOTALLY FLIRTED WITH HIM!_ A smile formed slowly on my face. "That's so cool." Lenora removed her hand from my shoulder.

"Yes, he was such an energetic boy." She rubbed her chin. "You remind of him quite a lot. You both have that spark... That determination and that undeniable connection with Pokémon. I haven't seen that in anyone else but you two." She lightly smiled. "It makes me feel good to see that there are still trainers who have the will to travel, just to travel with Pokémon. It gives me... Hope. And I certainly think those rotten Plasma members could learn a thing or two from you!" She placed her hands on her hips. "Well now, you better get going towards Castelia City to get the next Badge. Oh! Make sure to tell that silly Burgh that Lenora sent you. And tell him to stop by sometime!" She laughed again. I smiled cheerfully and began heading upstairs to the main level.

"I will! Goodbye!" And I hopped up each stair. The nice man that lead trainers into the Gym gave me a water bottle on my way out. I had no clue how parched I was until the bottle went empty. I threw it away in a trashcan near the entrance, and exited the museum. I found myself back on the streets of Nacrene. I stretched up my arms and yawned. What to do now... My stomach grumbled.

"Boy sounds like someone is hungry." A familiar male voice noted. Cheren stood in front of me, adjusting his glasses and smirking lightly. I rolled my eyes.

"Thank you Captain Obvious. Saving the day, one correct statement at a time!" I joked. He chuckled and came closer to me.

"Check out what I just got." He said holding up his Basic Badge. I stared wide-eyed at it. How did he get it before me?

"But... All the commotion this morning... And you were behind me... So-" Crap. While I was dozing off in Pinwheel Forest, Cheren was back here making quick work of the Gym. I shook my head. Man was he fast! "It looks like you and I are tied up now. Any word from Bianca?" He shrugged.

"Not that I know of. I figured she would be here, but I haven't seen her." He looked around and noticed the little Cafe next to the museum. "Want to grab some food? You clearly need some sustenance." I lightly punched his arm.

"Yeah yeah. Lets go grab a table inside." And then we walked towards the café.

"So I ran into that N guy again." I told Cheren in between shoveling a small salad down my throat. He nearly spat out his drink.

"Are you a magnet for weirdos? First him, then Plasma, then him and Plasma again?" He dabbed his napkin on his lips. I scrapped up what was left of my dressing with my finger and licked every last bit.

"Well I don't know. He is strange, but I don't think he's such a bad guy. Plasma on the other hand, they're the bad guys." Cheren started munching on a breadstick.

"Still, you should be more careful. We don't know anything about him, what if he's dangerous?"

"Somehow I doubt he's truly dangerous... But I don't plan on running into him again." I hoped not anyways... After that awkward experience in the forest. "Anyways, how's your training coming along?" That's when he perked up.

"It's been great. I caught myself a Pidove back on Route 3, and Purrloin finally evolved for me. Some nice young lady gave me a Panpour. Training has really gone well." He smiled. He seemed very happy. "One day... I'll be Champion." That reminded me of something.

"Oh, Cheren, I forgot to mention... I met someone you might like." This piqued his interest. He leaned forward on the table, waiting for me to say. "His name is Black. I met him earlier today. And I just found out that he's in the Hall of Champions. He's beaten Alder and everything." His jaw dropped.

"N-no way... What was he like? Was he powerful? Well, of course he was powerful. Did you see him battle? What were his strategies, what was it like?" He was half standing and gripping the tablecloth. A few other customers and a waitress were eyeing him suspiciously. I laughed out loud and pushed him back into his seat.

"Calm down! No, I didn't get to see him battle, but if I ever meet him again I'll be sure to get a few tips and put in a good word for you." I told him winking. He straightened his red tie and cleared his throat.

"Of course. Just... You know, if you meet him again." He tried not to seem to excited, but he didn't hide it well. I giggled.

"I think that you'll be joining him as a Champion one day." I said taking a drink from my glass. He held his head high.

"I know that I will. It's all I've ever wanted. I will become powerful." He stated. He had such purpose. But what was my purpose? I would continue taking on the Gyms, battle the Elite Four and Alder... But what would I do after that? Go back home? I wasn't sure. It wasn't the time to think of that now though, I would cross that bridge when I came to it...

Speaking of a bridge.

"Oh! I need to get going to Skyarrow Bridge! I've got to go to Castelia you know, for my third Badge."

"Hey, so do I." He reminded me. I pushed myself up from my seat and stared pleadingly into his eyes.

"But I need to get ahead of you, so take care of the bill for me, okay?" I said sweetly, patting his hand and batting my eyelashes. He looked appalled. I grinned. "I'll pay you back!" I said turning and running out the front doors. At first there was silence. Then I head Cheren mutter as I advanced through the doors.

"Check please..."

I made sure to heal my Pokémon before making the journey through Pinwheel Forest again. My plan was to get past Skyarrow Bridge, check out Castelia City a little bit, then head to the PokeCenter there and grab a room for the night. I would wake up early the next morning and go straight to the Gym. As I was going through the forest, I noticed a clan of pretty little grass creatures. My Dex recorded them as Petilil. They were a grass type, and that was one I hadn't had on my team. So I befriended one and asked if she would like to join me on my travels. Dewott and I convinced her to come with us, and she happily agreed to let herself be caught. I turned to Dewott and smiled.

"Another new addition to our family." He crawled onto my shoulder and up on my hat, where he hung tightly.

"Wott wott!" He replied pointing forward. This must have indicated to keep traveling. So we kept on down the road until we reached the gate that led to Skyarrow bridge. I took a deep breath and climbed up the stairs. The view was breathtaking. In the distance, I could see the Castelia skyline. It was gorgeous. I reached up and pet Dewott's fur.

"Let's make this fun." I stuck my arms out to the side and spoke like we were on an airplane. "This is White, your pilot speaking. Are we ready for takeoff?"

"Dew! Dewott!" He cried excitedly.

"Then off we go!" I shouted as I ran across the bridge. I felt the wind in my face, the fresh air and the slowly diminishing sunlight, and it gave me a rush. Under us, a few trucks passed by, carrying goods to and from other parts of Unova. It was nearly five. Even so, the rush hour traffic was very minimal. I continued to run the entire extent of the bridge, laughing. Dewott was enjoying himself as the passenger of my plane. We finally reached the end of the bridge. As we entered Castelia, I removed him from the top of my head and kissed his little pink nose. "We are now disembarking. Thank you for choosing Air White. Have a nice day!" Dewott squeaked happily and clapped his paws. Then I withdrew him into the Pokeball. I observed Castelia.

It was a lot bigger than any city I had ever been to. There were huge buildings and skyscrapers along the road. Five piers leading out to the sea went down the entire left side, and there were alleys in between the buildings that led to other parts of the city. People wandered up and down the streets, chatting with each other about weather and news and such. A pretty lady with brunette hair was standing on a corner with a pink box that held little cones. I walked up to her and inspected.

"Why hello there! Try one of our famous Castelia Cones! Finest ice cream in Unova!" She chirped handing me one. My eyes sparkled seeing the delicious treat.

"Thank you!" I said walking down the sidewalk. It seemed like such a nice town already! I continued down the street, preparing to eat my ice cream, when two glass doors opened directly in front of me. A gentleman and a young boy came out. The gentleman seemed to be in a panic while the little boy was crying uncontrollably. He wasn't sobbing, but he was definitely upset.

"D-don't worry! I promise, we will find your parents somewhere... Please! D-don't cry anymore!" The gentleman begged. It did no good. The little boy held his hands over his eyes and hunched down into a ball. I came closer.

"What's the problem here?" I asked. The gentleman looked relieved to see me.

"Oh thank Arceus! Are you this boy's mother?" I shook my head and he immediately went back into dismay. "Oh dear... This little boy... He must have wandered into the building by himself and lost his parents! I tried to ask him for his name and where they went, but he won't speak to me! I don't know what to do... I need to get back to work, but I need to help him!" He ran his fingers through his greying blond hair.

"Don't worry, I can take him with me. I'll help him find his parents." I assured him. His eyes lit up.

"Oh really? You're the nicest young lady! Thank you so much! Please take care of him. I-I must get back to work!" He said hurrying back into the building. I sighed. Well, at least I could try. I crouched down next to the little boy.

"Hey there, no more crying." I spoke gently. He looked up for a moment, but then buried his face in his hands again. I lightly took his hand. "Do you want some ice cream? I have a cone, but you need to get up and walk with me while you eat it, okay?" He looked up again, and looked at the frozen treat I hadn't gotten a chance to eat yet. Then he unfolded from his ball and stood up. I smiled. "There, now no more tears." I wiped the wetness away from his cheeks with my thumb and handed him the ice cream. He took it and started to lick the sides. I stood up and held my hand out to him. "Will you walk with me? We're going to get you back home now. Just take my hand." He hesitated, but reached out and wrapped his little fingers around my hand. I began to lead him along the strip. He quietly ate his ice cream. "So, what's your name?" I asked. No response. "Okay... Can you tell me what your parents look like?" Still no response. I sighed. "How can I get you back home if you can't talk to me silly?" I smiled warmly and ruffled his black hair. He looked up at me with ultra light blue eyes and then stared at one particular pier. "Do you want to go that way?" He nodded once. We started walking towards the second pier of the city and strolled to the very edge. The waves of the sea crashed softly against the concrete foundation of the pier. It was a very soothing sound. No one was around though... Except for a lone figure at the very end of the pier. "Is that your daddy?" I asked him. He looked up at me, then over at the figure. Then he started to pull me towards the figure. "H-hey hold on now!" I giggled. It must have been his father, he was so eager to see him. He went up to the man and tugged at his white cardigan with rolled up sleeves. Apparently, I had failed to notice the river of messy green hair, because when the figure turned to face us, I saw the soft features of N's face. He looked surprised to see me at first, then he looked down at the little boy and his eyes sparkled. The boy let go of my hand as N heaved him up into his arms and hugged him tightly.

"Oh! I thought I lost you, my dear friend! Please don't leave me again!" He sounded so much like a worried parent... Did that mean... N had a son?!

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**_*Organ sting* Didn't see that coming did ya? I promise there's an explanation... in my next chapter! So continue reading my eager followers! Chapter 7 is on it's way. Please R&R~_**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Bonjour! Tis time for chapter 7. We last left our hero White with a bipolar green haired man and his supposed son. What will happen next? Enjoy!**_

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I just stood there, completely dumbfounded. N was a father... _A father_. I threw up my hands and closed my open mouth.

"I give! I totally give up! Whatever kind of game you're playing here... You win!" I flopped my hands down onto my head and squeezed hard. I didn't understand. N looked at me, confused and still holding the child in his arms.

"What ever do you mean? I wasn't aware we were playing a game." He said. Clueless again. Dropping my hands, I sighed.

"Never mind... Is this your son?" I finally asked. He stared blankly at me.

"My son? If that were the case, I would have to have a princess wouldn't I?" More nonsense. I would just let it go for now.

"Then who is this little boy? He got lost. I was just trying to help him find his parents. He got excited when he saw you so I assumed maybe... You were his father?" I explained raising an eyebrow. The little boy reached out his tiny hand to me, expecting me to hold it. I grinned and took his little fingers in mine. N watched us with a half-smile.

"He has certainly taken a liking to you. Oh, and thank you for finding my dear friend. Though he's not my son... I do take care of him. He is one of my precious friends." His eyes sparkled and he nuzzled his cheek against the boy's.

"Rua!" He happily squeaked. I cocked my head. The first sound I hear this boy make, and it sounds like a Pokémon. Suddenly, the boy's skin turned black, and his shape bubbled until he got a bit smaller. When the black faded away, a Pokémon was in his place. I jumped back and put my hand over my mouth.

"H-how? What? Wha-what?" Was the only thing stumbling through my lips. My Xtranciever beeped about a new Pokémon type. I pointed out at him. "That... That was a Pokémon?"

"Zorua? Rua?" The tiny black fox said. N scratched behind his pointed ears. The Pokémon purred.

"Yes. This is Zorua. He is my precious friend..." He brought Zorua to his face and cuddled again. I giggled. It was simply adorable. A boy and his Pokémon. His Pokémon that... Transformed.

"So... Why was Zorua a little boy?" N continued to pet his Pokémon.

"Zorua's ability is Illusion. He can change into other people and Pokémon as he pleases. Sometimes when we travel into a larger city, he changes into that little boy because he's rather shy. I must have lost track of him earlier." He slightly frowned. "It's strange... He never really associates with other humans aside from myself. If it weren't for you, I may not have found him." He looked up at me with those green eyes. "Thank you, White." I rubbed the back of my head and blushed a little.

"No problem. Happy to help." Zorua wiggled in his arms a bit and made a few more squeaks. N raised his eyebrows.

"Ah... If you wish." He held the black fox out to me. "He wishes for you to hold him." He said. I put my hands up.

"Um, really? Because I don't really- okay..." I gave in, taking the Pokémon in my arms like a baby. He waved his furry front paws and purred. I smiled and scratched his fuzzy stomach. "Aren't you a cutie?"

"Rua!" He replied licking my cheek. I laughed. It tickled! N breathed a small laugh and made his way to the edge if the pier. He rested his hands on the railing and looked out at the ocean. I walked over and stood next to him. The sun was starting to set in the distance. It looked really pretty over the water. The sea breeze felt gentle and refreshing. It was quiet for a moment. Something had been bothering me for a while, and I built up the nerve to ask.

"N... What are your aspirations? In Accumula Town, you told me you were a trainer. But how can someone be a Pokémon trainer when you don't keep any Pokémon? How do you train? What is it you want to achieve?" At first he didn't say anything. Then he spoke.

"My goals... I want to protect them. All of my friends. All of the Pokémon in the world. It is my destiny to reshape this world. To change the truth and ideals of people so that they understand!" He gripped the rail hard enough that his knuckles became white. "I will... Free them. Every one of them. Stop the suffering. End the pain. No human will ever hurt them again... I will separate them all." Again, he sounded like Ghetsis. His hands were still white. The rail began to shake under his grip. I quickly placed my hand over his. He looked to me, his eyes full of what seemed to be... Anger. It didn't scare me. I lightly squeezed.

"Calm down." I whispered. "Take a deep breath." He slowly took in a breath and closed his eyes. Then released and turned back to the water. It was quiet again. Zorua made a little yawn. "You know... I'm not really sure what you're talking about half of the time. For one, you talk way too fast for me to understand. And two..." I rubbed the back of his hand. "I don't think you and I see the same way." He looked at me with soft eyes. "I believe that Pokémon and people are meant to be with each other. They assist each other. Understand each other."

"But the torment... The terrible humans that keep them trapped within those Pokeballs for eternity." He suddenly pulled away from me. "E-even you..." He took a step forward. "You are one of them... But you are not. I can't... I can't see this." He shook his head back and forth. "Who are you?! What is your purpose?!" He screamed. I just stared, unsure of how to react. I swallowed hard and looked into Zorua's bright eyes. "Zorua..." N began. "If you are different from them... Then tell me why? Why Zorua was found alone, abandoned, and beaten? A defenseless Pokémon... Tortured and left to die." He clenched his fists. "How can he trust humanity again? How can Pokémon let this be? How can the world let this be?!" He yelled. I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes shut. I set Zorua carefully on the pavement and came back up to face N, who held rage in his eyes. I took out every single Pokeball from my bag.

"I don't know what you were taught as a child. I don't know what makes you distrust humans the way you do. I don't even know if you're a friend, or an enemy. But let me tell you something. Who am I? I am White Touko. I lived in Nuvema Town for seventeen years of my life. All I want is to experience the world and the beings within it. What is my purpose?" I popped each Pokeball open. Several white lights appeared, one of my Pokémon materializing within each, and surrounding me. Dewott, Herdier, Pansear, Blitzle and Petilil. They looked up at me, confused as to why I summoned them. Then their eyes fell upon N. Dewott and Herdier took caution, Blitzle was happy to see him, and Petilil and Pansear were neutral. I looked deep into N's eyes. "They are my purpose. My friends, my family, my Pokémon. I will do everything in my power to keep them with me, to protect them. That is who I am. That is my purpose." I explained. He studied me, his eyes narrowed. Zorua pawed at his pant leg until he picked him up. Zorua made a few squeaks. N grumbled.

"He says you're different..." He said quietly. He lifted his head. "Although I hope he is right, I will not allow my way of thinking to be changed so easily by someone who opposes my goals." I didn't blame him for that. It frustrated me though. I want to know what made him this way... I shook my head.

"Understood." I looked around at my Pokémon. They eagerly awaited my orders. The orange glow in the sky was becoming darker. "It's getting late. I'm going to get a room in the PokeCenter for the night. Come on guys." Jerking my head, I began to lead them away. "Goodbye N, Zorua." I raised my hand.

"Farewell." I heard him mutter.

Nurse Joy had arranged a room for me at the PokeCenter. I thanked her and headed upstairs for some rest. It wasn't a fancy room or anything. Just a typical little hotel room. Queen sized bed, bathroom, desk, nightstand, a little lamp and large windows overlooking the sea. I closed the door behind me and let out a sigh. I pressed my back against the door and slid all the way down, putting my head in between my knees. Just... Breathe... I kicked off my boots and threw off my hat. My Pokémon were already asleep within their Pokeballs, leaving me alone and confused. I took a piece of my hair and started stroking it. Usually I did that when I was stressed. I flipped it over and over through my fingers until I willed myself to stand. Forget him... Forget his words... I tossed my black sleeveless vest onto the desk where my hat had landed. Looking out the windows, I saw the last bits of sunlight hide away under the waves. This is stupid... How could I let him get to me? I placed my hand on my forehead and closed my eyes. I turned back. My bed looked comforting... I left the blinds open and plopped onto my bed, still facing the windows. I snuggled close into the pillow and shut my eyes. I've decided. I don't like running into N anymore.

* * *

Waking up the next morning wasn't terribly hard. I was determined to get moving, and I had a decent sleep. I stretched and yawned and scratched my head. Something smells like... I pulled a strand of hair to my nose. It smelled like grass, and a hint of smoke. Gross. A shower was added to my list of things to do today. So I popped out of bed and into the bathroom. I started up the water so it could get hot while I brushed my teeth. Then I stripped down and jumped into the steaming shower.

* * *

"Thank you Nurse Joy!" I called back waving after I ate some breakfast and checked out. I pushed through the front doors and inhaled the morning air. It must have been nice living by the ocean like this. You walk out and it's the first thing you see. I ran my fingers through my long ponytail and readjusted my hat. I had an agenda to stick to. So I walked down the sidewalk with a little bounce in my step, excited to take on the next Gym. I hadn't noticed, but a short man in a brown trench coat was definitely following me from behind. It was getting a little creepy.

"Hey there... Miss?" He spoke in a rough sounding voice. I dared to turn and face him.

"Um... Can I help you?" His eyes shifted constantly. I was beginning to consider running in the opposite direction. He came a little closer and held his coat tight.

"Can I interest you in some..." Oh Arceus. Drugs? Weapons? Illegal candy? "Evolutionary Stones?" He said cheerfully pulling apart his coat and revealing a little blue chest. I eyed him suspiciously, still not trusting him. He flicked the lock open and revealed the treasures within. Three shiny stones were placed equidistant apart from each other in the silky case. "This one here is a Leaf Stone, this is a Water Stone, and this last one is a Fire Stone." He pointed to each one and explained. I was very interested. But I really had no idea how they worked or what they were for.

"Well, they're very nice. But I don't really know how to use one." I admitted. He smiled.

"Don't worry my dear! The Pokémon know how to use them properly. All you have to do, is choose the correct stone. You see, Evolutionary Stones can sometimes be used to make a certain Pokémon evolve. For example, the three elemental monkeys, Pansage, Panpour and Pansear, can all evolve using the designated stone." This caught my attention.

"Evolve them huh? I have a Pansear with me. So does that mean a Fire Stone would make her evolve?" I asked.

"Precisely! It seems to me like you're a new trainer. Why don't you go ahead and take this Fire Stone for yourself, hmm?" He held it out to me. People were always being so nice to me. I graciously took the shiny stone.

"Oh really? Thank you so much!" I said. My voice was even getting all high and girly. I was stoked.

"Anytime my child! If you're ever looking for a certain Evolutionary Stone... You can find me here! Tah-tah now!" And he flitted away. I rubbed the surface of the amber-colored stone, wondering how it worked. Only one way to find out. I took out a Pokeball and let out Pansear. She greeted me with a happy squeal. I crouched down to her level and held the stone in front of her.

"Supposedly, this is going to make you evolve." Her ears perked up. "Will you try it for me?" She nodded excitedly and snatched the stone. She held it for a little while, waiting patiently for something to happen. Just when I was about to give up, Pansear's body was enveloped in light. She grew about another foot and her tail became fluffier. When the light faded away, I saw a new being before me. I stood up and recorded her data. She observed her new form and cheered out loud. "Awesome! You evolved into Simisear!" I grinned. "Think we can take out that Gym Leader way easier now?"

"Simi!" She replied. I nodded.

"Then let's get going!" I began leading her down to the very last main road of the city. Down that road was the Gym. I knew Leader Burgh specialized in bug types, so Simisear would have no problem wiping them out. We continued down the sidewalk until I saw a familiar face coming our way.

"White! Hey!" Bianca called out hurrying to us. A cute little Munna clung to her side. I waved.

"Hi Bianca." I noted her new friend. "I see Munna stuck with you after all, huh?" She nodded quickly and wrapped one arm around the pink blob.

"Sure did! After we scared away those Plasma creeps, she found me and I think she wanted to stay with me. So we're partners now! Isn't that right my precious little Munny?"

"Muu muu!" It cried snuggling close to her. I giggled. They were very happy together.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" She dug into her pocket and pulled out two Gym Badges. "Look! I have the Trio and Basic Badges, just like you and Cheren!" Her eyes sparkled.

"That's so great Bianca! I told you that you were getting better didn't I?" She laughed and released Munna from the hug.

"I guess you did, huh? I'm so glad I can show you I can be good too." I patted her shoulder.

"Of course you can. Everyone can." I thought for a moment. "Hey have you seen Cheren around? I know he was heading this way." She cocked her head and tried to think. Munna and Simisear were having a playful conversation on the other side of us.

"You know, I think he might be challenging the Gym Leader right now. He called to ask me where I was this morning and it looked like he was in front of the building." She explained.

"Aw man... Already?" I whined. "Gosh that boy is fast." I shook my head. Bianca shrugged.

"Well, that doesn't mean we'll get stuck behind right? We should go to the Gym right now!" She smiled widely. Such determination. I nodded once.

"Yeah. Let's head over there right- woah!" Two strangers in black coats suddenly shoved into us. If I had been paying attention I would have noticed them before. I thought it might have been an accident, but they kept pushing us over. "Hey! Cut it out!" I tried to fight back. Whoever it was, they were strong enough to completely knock Bianca and I down.

"Ack!" Bianca screeched. "What are you doing?!" Something fell out of her bag. A Pokeball. The first perpetrator immediately swiped it up and turned to Munna and Simisear. The person held it up and pressed the button in the middle, withdrawing Munna. "No! My Munna!" Bianca cried. I tried to push myself up to stop the them but quickly got knocked back down by the second perp. That time, the person went through my bag and pulled out Simisear's Pokeball.

"No!" I screamed grabbing his arm. He threw me back down with little effort, and Simisear disappeared into the Pokeball. Seeing that their mission was completed, they ran off toward the last road. I sprung back up and yanked Bianca off the concrete. "Go! They're getting away!" We both started running as fast as we could.

"Stop! Thieves!" She shouted. Her voice was choking up already. I clenched my teeth together and just kept running. It had to be Plasma. It just had to be. And those sick bastards were trying to take Pokémon now... We followed them as they rounded the corner and watched them disappear into a building right across from the Pokémon Gym. Cheren was slowly strolling out of the Gym when he saw us.

"Hey guys. What's-" I cut him off.

"Get Burgh now." I ordered as I approached the building across the street.

"What do you mean? Why?" He questioned. I turned my head and gave him a deadly glare.

"Get him now!" I growled. Cheren nodded hesitantly and rushed back into the Gym. I could hear Bianca whimpering beside me. I swallowed hard and stared at the closed doors in front of us. "Don't worry, Bianca. We'll get them back. I promise."

* * *

**_And scene! The kidnapping has begun. Pop quiz! Who was the favorite character I spoke of in my last chapter? Ding! Zorua~ I love that little foxy. Anyways keep on reading you creative reading fanatics! Chapter 8 is on its way. Please R&R!_**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Hello hello! Chapter 8 is here. This was a toughie for me. But I hope you like it none the less! Will White be able to save her friends from the thieving Team Plasma? I'm sure you know, but hey, read just to make sure! Enjoy~**_

* * *

I pushed hard against the doors. They were held shut with something behind them. So I started slamming them with the side of my body. Repeatedly. Bianca tried to pull me away, but I pushed her off.

"White stop! You're going to hurt yourself!" She warned. I didn't care. They had our Pokémon. I wasn't about to give up. I kept smashing into the door, trying to make it give. Someone grabbed me and pulled me away hard, then restrained both my arms.

"Enough." Cheren ordered sternly. "Look, you've already bruised up your arm..." He was right. My entire right side was starting to get red, and purple marks were forming. I jerked out of his grasp, rummaging in my bag for Herdier's Pokeball and letting him out.

"Take Down, now!" I commanded. He barked once, then backed up and rammed through.

"Come on!" I rushed in with Herdier, ignoring the debates of Cheren and Bianca. There was no one in the main lobby, so I headed up the stairs and pushed through the door to the second floor. That's when I caught them. The two black-coated thieves were standing in front of a long glass table with chairs on each side. It must have been a room for some type of meeting. When they heard the door burst open, they turned to face me, revealing three more people at the head of the table. Ghetsis... And Gorm, along with another one of those oddly dressed sages. I scowled.

"Give them back." I spoke in my scariest voice. Ghetsis leaned forward in his chair, his red eyes scanning over me.

"I assure you, there is nothing to give back." He lied.

"My lord, this is the one who foiled our plans in Nacrene." Gorm told him. One of the black-coated strangers revealed their face. I recognized her from the Dreamyard.

"Lord Ghetsis, the girl from the Dreamyard. She interfered with the Dream Mist operation." The other thief revealed his face. It was Eric. He had bandages over his nose.

"She broke my nose!" He whined.

"Shut up!" The girl hissed.

"Yes Veronica..." He whimpered, hanging his head. Ghetsis looked amused. I clenched my fists.

"Stop playing games! Give the Pokémon back now!" I demanded. Herdier growled low.

"Now now... No need for a temper." Ghetsis said standing up from his chair. "You have been a lot of trouble it seems." He began pacing. "White, yes? These Pokémon... They belong to you?" I heard footsteps coming up from behind me. Soon after, Cheren and Bianca were at my side with Servine at Cheren's leg.

"Please... Please return my Munna!" Bianca begged. Ghetsis stifled a laugh.

"Again I must ask, do these Pokémon belong to you? You see, I believe that Pokémon are free beings... Equal to humans in every way. If this is so, then how can you say you own a Pokémon? A Pokémon cannot be perfect if it is owned by someone. That would require them to give up any ideals they had in order to please their master. They would never reach their full potential." It was like his speech in Accumula Town... "Which is why we have taken the responsibility of Pokémon liberation. Freeing Pokémon from people who can never truly understand them. People who torture them with constant battles and a greed for power."

"You're wrong!" I shouted. He seemed surprised at my outburst. "When people battle with their Pokémon... It creates that understanding. We connect with them, we can feel them. It gives us an unbreakable bond. Pokémon aren't just these creatures that are used for battle, they're our partners, and our friends. They choose to stay with us. And if you're working towards separating Pokémon from people, then you're the monster that Pokémon should stay away from!" He paused, taking in my words. Then he smiled wickedly.

"How interesting... You may be a little more intelligent than I had presumed. It's quite admirable. However, it is a pity you don't understand my true intentions. You three... Are you familiar with the legends of how Unova was created?" He asked. Cheren stepped forward.

"Yes. The one about the dragon Pokémon." He said.

"Very good. But you see, the truth is that this dragon Pokémon sought out a hero to bring a region of warring people back together. With the dragon Pokémon under his command, the hero was able to stand against anyone who opposed him, and bring unity to all the people of Unova. Thus, the region was created." _Yeah yeah... A little fairy tale. So what?_ He began pacing again. "Now you see, I am in need of this power, this power to make people understand. I intend to bring the legendary hero and the dragon back to Unova. With it's power... We can change the heart and mind of everyone. We can make them see my- I mean Team Plasma's- ideal world!" He had a maniacal glaze over his eyes as he spoke. It was a crazy sounding plan... _But would he be able to do something like that?_ If he could, it would mean we were in a lot of trouble. "I have recruited people who also desire the world like myself. They are known as the Seven Sages. Bronius." He looked at the older man sitting next to Gorm.

"Yes my lord?"

"Please tell the others that these young people would like to meet them." Bronius nodded, stood, and went into another room on the floor. Ghetsis turned his attention back to us. "Let me assure you, I have no intention of backing down from my plans. And..." Suddenly, a horde of Plasma grunts filled the meeting area from the door Bronius had entered. They surrounded us, each with a Pokeball held out. "I also don't plan on letting you interfere anymore." He finished. I looked around. There was no way we would be able to take them all at once... Not even if Bianca, Cheren and I worked together. We were done for.

"Stop right there!" A voice called from behind us. I turned to see a tall man with fluffy, light brown hair wearing a burgundy scarf around his neck. I hadn't even heard him come up the stairs. "That's enough of this nonsense! Return these young ladies' Pokémon right now." He growled. It must have been Burgh. From behind him, a wave of police officers filled the area. They seemed to outnumber even the Plasma grunts. I looked back at Ghetsis. He sneered.

"Well if it isn't Leader Burgh. Come to save the day have you?" He mocked. Burgh stepped in front of us.

"You're outnumbered. Return the Pokémon and come quietly. I would hate for things to get messy." Burgh warned.

"Veronica, Eric. Give them the Pokémon." Ghetsis said jerking his head up. Veronica's eyes widened.

"But... My lord-" He held up his hand, which stopped her talking immediately. She and Eric exchanged glances. They dug into their pockets and pulled out our Pokeballs.

"Here." She snarled tossing them to us. Both Bianca and I summoned out our Pokémon to make sure nothing had happened to them. Simisear hugged me tightly upon being rescued. I pat her head.

"It's alright now. You're safe." I whispered. Herdier barked happily next to me and cuddled with us. Bianca held Munna close and started to cry.

"Oh Munny! I'm so happy you're okay!"

"Muu naa!" She cried with her. I could hear Ghetsis scoffing a laugh.

"The bond between people and Pokémon... It can be very touching. But in order to liberate them from you wicked trainers, we will revive the legend. Eric." He said. Eric nodded once and pulled something else out of his pocket. It was a little black ball. "Farewell."

"No, stop!" I called out. But it was too late. Eric smashed the ball against the ground and a cloud of blinding purple smoke covered the area. Coughing could be heard from every corner of the room.

"Leaf Tornado!" Cheren shouted in between coughs. His Servine whipped up powerful gusts of wind and leaves that drove away the thick smoke and cleared the room. But Team Plasma had already gotten away. _They sure loved smoke bombs._

"Oh drat! They got away." Burgh said frowning. "Well... At least the Pokémon are safe." He looked at the officers. "Thank you for the assistance, you may go now!" A few of them mumbled about never getting any action, then they flooded out the door. He let out a breath. "So much for saving the day, huh?"

"You did though." I told him. "If you hadn't come with those police, we probably would've had some serious trouble." I bowed my head. "Thank you." Bianca bowed rapidly as well.

"Yes, thank you for helping!" She chirped. Burgh let out a hearty laugh.

"My pleasure! Anything for the safety of friends and Pokémon!" He smiled at Cheren.

"Good thing you came to get me in time."

"Of course. It was a good idea to get the officers." He pushed his glasses up and glanced at Servine. "Nice work Servine. Return!" And he withdrew him. I gave Simisear and Herdier a little kiss and took them back as well. Bianca still held Munna in her arms. It didn't look like she would be letting her go any time soon.

"Thanks for the help guys." I said. I rubbed my bruised arm. "Sorry I was so... Rash about bursting in here." Burgh chuckled.

"No harm done! The Pokémon and you kids are safe. Now that the work is done, I think I'll head back to the Gym. I have to be prepared for my next challenge you know." He waved and began to back away. "Goodbye Cheren! Goodbye ladies!" Then his footsteps sounded down the stairs. Cheren let out a big sigh.

"Why is it that the two of you always find some kind of trouble?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

"It's more like trouble finding us." I corrected. I looked around at the empty room. "Let's get out of here." I said. I started to head down the stairs, hearing Cheren and Bianca's echoing footsteps behind me. The doors were still left wide open. Herdier had kind of knocked them off their hinges. I stood in the street and stared ahead. _What to do now..._ The Gym was tempting me. I guess now would be as good a time as any to get through it. I hoped Simisear would be alright fighting though.

"Think you'll be okay going for it now?" Cheren asked. I shrugged.

"As long as Simisear is feeling up to fight."

"White, good luck okay?" Bianca said.

"Muu muu!" Her Munna chimed in. We all giggled.

"And... Take care of that arm." Cheren noted the bruises.

"I will, don't worry. Thanks guys. I'll see you around!" I waved and hurried into the Gym, eager for my next Badge.

* * *

"Simisear, keep it up!" I shouted to her. She bounced back up from the last attack and snarled at Burgh's Leavanny. It's special attacks were a major pain in the ass. The Razor Leaf took out Herdier in only one shot. Burgh smiled.

"That's right, don't give up yet! Leavanny use String Shot!"

"Vaaaa!" It opened it's mouth wide and web like strings covered poor Simisear. She tried to break free but it was very sticky and each time she pulled a web off it got stuck again. "Razor Leaf!" It whipped it's arms around like blades that struck against Simisear and cut her up. She screeched out in pain, but the webs had finally been cut.

"Flamethrower!" A blast of fire was shot out of her mouth straight at the Leavanny.

"Dodge my dear Leavanny!" Burgh sang. The Levanny flipped back and forth around the flames shooting at it. It looked like dancing. Simisear was becoming frustrated and lost her focus. She angrily continued to spit fire out at it.

"Keep in control Simisear!" I ordered. She drew back her flames and growled low. "Try Fury Swipes!" She rushed across the room towards Levanny with her claws held out and poised to strike.

"Protect!" Levanny summoned a clear blue shield that surrounded itself. Even when Simisear raked her nails harder and harder against it, the shield didn't dissipate. Simisear was breathing hard. Then the protection started to fade in and out. "Jump high and use Energy Ball!" The Leavanny bounded into the air and spat out a glowing green ball of light towards us.

"Counter with Flamethrower!" Flames again spewed out of her mouth and met with the ball of energy. They clashed and created a huge explosion that forced both Pokémon farther away from each other. Even I had to stagger back to keep upright. I glanced over at Leavanny. It must've taken more of a blow than I thought. It knelt down on one knee and hung it's head. Perfect. "Simisear, go for another-"

"String Shot!" Burgh interrupted. Though Leavanny was struggling, it managed to lift it's head up and spit more strong webs that covered Simisear again. I groaned. While Simisear was trying to break free from the sticky mess, Leavanny recovered from the previous blow and prepared to attack. I wasn't sure how much more of this Simisear could take. "Razor Leaf!" Leavanny began rushing towards Simisear, readying it's grassy blades for a seriously strong attack. Simisear couldn't even move, she was still covered in the web trap. What could I do... Idea!

"Wait until Leavanny gets close!" Simisear cried out in confusion. "Trust me!" She tried her best to follow my orders and keep calm. She focused her energy and stared down with the quickly advancing Leavanny. Closer... Closer... Leavanny raised is blades right next to Simisear. "Overheat, now!" I shouted. She drew in all her fire power and ground her teeth together. Then, as Leavanny was about to slice at her again, she released all the energy.

An immense wave of heat pulsed out of her body and blasted around the area. The webs trapping Simisear instantly burned off and Leavanny was sent flying back from the powerful impact. I held my arm up to cover my eyes. Along with the heat, she also brought out a bright light. I couldn't completely see what happened yet. I felt small beads of sweat form on my forehead. When the intense light died down, I pried my eyes open and moved away my arm. Simisear was standing in a black burnt spot where she had overheated. Across the room, Leavanny was trying to push itself up. Though it's efforts were well attempted, it collapsed and didn't get back up. It had ended.

I let out a relieved breath and wiped my forehead. Simisear staggered over to me and looked up expectantly. I knelt to her level and lightly pat her head. "You did such a great job out there." I gave her a kiss. "Thank you for trusting me. I'll heal you and the others as soon as possible. Rest now." I assured her as I withdrew her into the Pokeball. I stood to face Burgh. He was across the room, just finishing his withdrawing of the fainted Leavanny. I walked over to him, smiling from ear to ear. Burgh looked down at me.

"What a spectacular battle that was! Such tactics, such beauty in each move, simply stunning." He praised, pulling out a familiar looking case from his pocket. I blushed a little.

"Thank you so much. I really enjoyed battling you." I replied. He held the case out and popped it open.

"I'm sure you've been anticipating this, huh?" He chuckled offering the shiny green badge out. "You are highly deserving of this Insect Badge." I didn't hesitate in taking it and observing it's pretty gold outlines. I pulled out my case and placed it in the spot next to my Basic Badge. _Five more to go..._ I snapped it shut and looked up to Burgh.

"It was an absolute pleasure to take you on. And uh, thanks for the help earlier. You really saved our butts." I rubbed the back of my head. Burgh cheerfully smiled.

"No trouble at all! I'm happy to help friends and Pokémon alike when danger arrives. Those Team Plasma weirdos have recently been getting in the way a lot. I'm not sure what their deal is, but I don't plan to let them run this city." He assured me. I nodded once and remembered something.

"Oh, before I go, I told Lenora I would say hello for her." He perked up.

"Oh Lenora! So you've beaten her too? Well, congrats! Haha! I'll have to pay her a visit. We can train together to take on these tough trainers nowadays!" We shared a small laugh. "Well then, you should get going! Nimbasa City awaits you."

"Oh yes!" I squealed. Of all the places in Unova I had to travel, I was especially excited for Nimbasa. It was definitely the place to make it. Amusement parks, the Battle Subway, musicals and stadium sports, Nimbasa had it all. Not to mention the next Gym. I waved quickly to Burgh and began to run away. "Thank you so much! I'll see you!"

"Bye Miss White!" He called out.

I headed out of the city and entered the gate that led into Route 4. I was sure I heard the attendant man behind the counter mention something about watching the news, but I didn't have time for something like that. I waved and pretended like I didn't hear what he said. Rude I know, but I was on a mission. I strode confidently into the desert path and tried not to step in any of the thicker parts of sand. Far ahead of me, I could see the slight silhouette of the highway over Nimbasa. I grinned just thinking about it, and began trotting faster towards my destination.

After walking just a little while longer, I noticed a lot of the trainers that I had seen before had all vanished. Even the Pokémon had retreated back to their homes. It was setting off a little red light in my mind but I wasn't sure why yet.

And then I saw it.

"Oh… Arceus…"

An enormous dark cloud was heading straight at me. Dust and debris flew all around and threatened to get me lost in the desert forever. I completely panicked and started to run, attempting to escape the frightening sandstorm. Unfortunately to no avail. I was knocked down as the powerful winds washed over me and the grit and darkness shut out my vision almost completely. I tried to see anything, anything at all, but it was totally dark. _Now what?!_

"This way!" I heard a faint voice call over the storm. I proceeded forward to where I thought it was coming from until someone grabbed my hand. "Hurry!" They screamed. The stranger pulled me quickly through the sandstorm, somehow knowing exactly where to go. I could barely make out the shape of a small hut in the distance. They yanked open the door, shoved me inside and entered behind me. I could hear the turning of a lock. My savior hustled over to what must have been a small oil lamp and lit it. He took off some strange looking goggles and revealed his pretty, chocolate eyes.

It was Black.

* * *

_**Love shack, baby love shack~ *cough* I mean, what a surprise! How in the woooorld did this happen? (I made it happen) Fufufufu... Now what will our hero face? Continue to chapter 9 (which will be coming soon) to find out! Please R&R my lovely readers!**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Happy Memorial Day everyone! And welcome to chapter 9! Looks like Black and White will get some alone time here... hehehehe... What will happen? What will they... do? And how gosh darn long will this sandstorm even last?! Proceed further to find out! Enjoy!**_

* * *

"Well, fancy meeting you out here." Black said smiling brightly. I closed my open jaw.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "Just wandering around the desert?" He shrugged.

"I was actually checking out the ruins just down the road. Then I caught word of a sandstorm coming and figured I should head back... What are you doing here though? Didn't you know it was dangerous?" He raised an eyebrow. I hung my head and rubbed the back of my neck.

"Uh... Well... I guess it wasn't my brightest idea not to check the weather report..." I admitted. He laughed.

"Not really. You're lucky I caught you in time. Could've been really bad if you got stuck in that mess outside." I looked back up at his cheery face and smiled a little.

"Yeah... Thanks for helping me out. You're a regular hero, aren't you?" I joked.

"Nah, just saving damsels in distress. It's a pleasure." He winked. I giggled. The little cabin rumbled again. There weren't any windows, probably for reasons like this. It must've been a makeshift construction worker's rest house or something. There were bunk beds in the corner of the room, one table with two chairs, and the desk with the oil lamp. I slumped down against the wall. It looked like we might be here for a while.

I crossed my arms over my knees and let out a sigh._ I wanted to get to Nimbasa sooner._ Then again, being locked in a little house alone with Black wasn't entirely bad. Black walked next to me and leaned against the wall. He looked down at me sitting.

"... What happened?" He suddenly asked. I looked up at him, confused.

"What?" He moved and hunched down in front of me.

"To your arm?" He noted the many bruises. I stared at it for a second.

"I just got into a little trouble earlier... That's all. It's fine." I explained.

"Does it hurt?" He poked my arm.

"Ow!" I pulled away immediately. "Well it hurts when you touch it!" I cried out.

"Shoot, I'm sorry." He apologized. He began digging in his pocket. "Let me fix that up for you." I gently rubbed the injury.

"No it's okay. It will go away eventually." I told him. He pulled out a Pokeball.

"Don't worry, I can help. Audino, come out!" He popped the sphere open and inside a bright light, Audino appeared. It was different from other Audinos I had seen at PokeCenters though... This one had purple fur and big green eyes.

"Dino! Audino!" It sang happily wagging it's fluffy tail. The little spirals under it's ears curled out and back. I laughed and grinned. It was so cute! The Audino looked at my wound and put it's tiny paws to it's mouth. "Audi... Dino?" Black nodded once.

"Can you use Heal Pulse on that, Audio? Fix her up a bit?" He asked. The Audino pretended to roll up it's sleeves.

"Audi audi." It replied. I let out a sigh.

"Alright, if you insist." I mumbled. I held out my arm for the oddly colored Audino. It took it gently, but I still winced a little upon feeling it's touch. Audino closed it's green eyes and focused. A faint pink light came from it's paws and covered my arm. It was soothing and soft... I felt at ease. After a moment or two, Audino removed it's paws and stepped back.

"Audino!" It said satisfied with it's work. I studied my arm. The bruising had certainly gone down. There was only a little discoloration in a few places, but it was much better. It didn't hurt either. I was astounded. Black pet the top of Audino's head.

"Good job boy! You're such a great helper, you know that?" He praised. Audino blushed and smiled. Black sat cross-legged on the floor beside his Pokémon. "So does it feel better now?" He asked. I rolled my wrist a few times to confirm it.

"Yes, a lot better. Thank you Audino!" I said. Black scratched behind Audino's ear.

"A lot of people misunderstand Audino's strength. They aren't the best fighters for sure, but not one Pokémon can give better support to your team than this little guy." He explained.

"Di dino!" Audino chimed in.

"Sure is a handsome fella too." I paused. "But... I thought Audinos were pink? Why does he have purple fur? And his eyes are green too." Audino plopped on the floor next to us. Black put a finger to his lip.

"To be honest, I don't know. He's special. I heard they're called Shiny Pokémon. Shiny ones can be different colors than a normal Pokémon. They're very rare in the wild. This guy however hatched from a Pokémon Egg I had been incubating on my travels. I guess I'm just lucky to have a cool Pokémon friend!" He said petting Audino again. Black was beaming. It didn't matter how rare his Audino was, he really loved him just because he was his partner. That made me really happy. I couldn't help smirking a little.

"Well that's great. I'm glad you two are close like that. It makes me relieved to see a bond like yours." Black pulled out his Pokeball and lightly tapped Audino, withdrawing him.

"Yeah... I love all my Pokémon. We've been through a lot together. And they've all stuck out for me. I should do the same for them..." A soft smile crossed over his face and he sighed quietly. I set my fingers on the floor.

"I'm sure you have... Right Mr. Champion?" I raised an eyebrow. He lifted his eyes in surprise.

"You found out?" He asked. He closed his eyes. "Guess I can't keep it a secret forever." I leaned closer.

"Why would you want to keep it secret? It's so cool. You've done what every trainer dreams of doing. You have total bragging rights." I told him. He took off his hat and scratched in his light brown hair.

"Yeah I guess that's true... Don't get me wrong, it felt great taking on Alder and the Elite Four. It's what I trained for since the day I got my first Pokémon. But... Champion... It's just a title. I'm no god or anything. I'm certainly not a Grand Champion like Alder."

"But you could be. Why not pursue becoming a Grand Champ? Sure it would be a little more work, but maybe Unova is due for a new one." I suggested. "Or a Gym Leader! Heck, you could do anything." He thought about it.

"Well, that's true too. I could do anything like that... But then what? Those Gym Leaders must be tired of the same old thing all the time, don't you think? Just battle after battle, the same thing with every challenger. Even with Alder. He has to get so exhausted. Constantly being challenged to uphold his title Grand Champion... And he's no spring Deerling either. It has to be tiring." He explained. "I don't... know if I want to be like that. I want to make a huge impact in this world. I want to show people what it means to be a great trainer. Champion... It's just a title. I couldn't care less about upholding it." I took in his words, and understood them. It made sense, what he said about Gym Leaders and even Alder. "Hey White... What will you do?" He asked. I just kind of stared for a while, pondering. I sighed.

"I guess I don't really know. I mean, I want to take on the Elite Four and Alder, but after that, no clue. I have no elaborate plans. I just want to travel with my Pokémon. I just want to see the world..." I looked down. "Would I like to make an impact on the world...? Yeah. I want to be like you, I want to show people what being a trainer is about. I want to show people like Team Plasma that using Pokémon is wrong. I mean, I know that's the message they're trying to convey, but they aren't doing it right! They're hurting Pokémon to get what they want!" I suddenly started to get fired up. I grabbed a piece of my hair and started twisting it around to keep myself from completely freaking out. I felt Black's soft hand on my leg. He looked at me with concerned eyes. I swallowed hard and stopped tugging at my hair. "Sorry..." I muttered dropping my hands.

"It's alright. No need to get too flustered though, okay? You're cuter when you're smiling." He smirked. I could feel hot blush creep in my cheeks.

"Uh... Haha..." I didn't know how to respond. "Thank you..." Was the only thing that came out. I could still feel his hand on my leg. He looked past my eyes.

"Oh hey, you've got some sand in your hair." He noted.

"Aw shoot. That sandstorm probably made it all messy too. Let me fix this." I slipped off my hat and placed it in my lap. Then I let my hair down and shook my fingers through it a few times. I could hear the tiny grains of sand hit the floor as they fell out. I brushed with my fingers then looked at Black. "Did I get it all?" I asked. He looked me over and nodded.

"Looks like it. I'm keeping your hat." He snatched my precious hat from my lap and bounced up.

"H-hey!" I stuttered. I popped up from my position and glared hard. "Give it back!" He moved away from me and brought it to his lips.

"But it smells like you. I want a souvenir." He said inhaling lightly. There was my blush again. _Why did boys have to toy with me like this?_ I made a grab for it but he pulled away.

"C'mon... That's my favorite hat!" I groaned. He held it way over his head.

"Well, you have to try and get it then." He smiled mischievously. I puffed out my cheeks in frustration. I jumped again to try and retrieve it, to no avail of course. I kept at it though. I reached higher and higher until I had pushed him back against the opposite wall. Now would be my chance. I leapt up as high as I could and managed to grab the brim of my hat.

"Aha!" I cried in victory. I pulled it down, but Black still had a firm grip on the other end. I tried to shake it from his grasp but he didn't loosen up. "Oh come on, please?" I drew out and batted my eyelashes. He lightly chuckled.

"Fine, I'll give it back. But... If I can't keep the hat, I'll require something else. You'll have to exchange another souvenir for it." He explained. I cocked my head.

"What do you want then? And I'm not giving you any other articles of clothing either." I joked. He tugged me and my hat into his chest. He circled my cheek lightly with his finger and stared deep into my eyes. Oh Arceus were they pretty... That soft brown melted me.

"Just a little something I can remember you by..." He paused as he played with a strand of my hair. "I'm going to be completely honest with you, I think I like you, a lot. It's probably weird since we just met, but for some reason I'm very drawn to you. And I've only really known you for a day. It's funny, I'm not really the hopeless romantic, but for some odd reason it's different with you." He explained. I wasn't one of those hopeless romantics either, but I couldn't deny I was attracted to him. I couldn't say that I didn't feel a strange connection. "... Can I kiss you?" _What!_ My face became even redder.

"Eh... Really? R-right now?" I stuttered. Don't get me wrong, I liked the guy for sure, but I wouldn't kiss someone I just met! Excluding that incident with N... But that was different! Black shrugged.

"Why not? It would let us know if there's any sparks. Plus, I really want to kiss you." He smirked. "My souvenir." I swallowed hard and looked away. _Would it be okay if I... Kissed him?_ Could he see that I was considering it? He must've, because he smiled lightly and started moving in. I panicked but... One little kiss wouldn't hurt... So I let him come closer and closer. I could... Feel his breath. It felt so sweet.

"BEEP BEEP"

_... Arceus bless it._

My Xtranciever started ringing. Out of all the times it could have rung, it rang now. Now. At this moment. That's when it decided to ring. I froze, contemplating letting the stupid thing ring. Then I snuck a glance down and saw that it was my mother. I looked back to Black. He shrugged.

"I'll wait." He said, clearly disappointed. I stepped away and held the screen up so I could see. I pressed the answer button and soon after, the call screen went to video. I could see my mother's pretty face.

"White? Is that you? It's dark." She began. I chuckled a little.

"Hi mom." She perked up upon hearing my voice.

"Oh good! I got this thing to work. Where are you? It's a little dark. Can you find a light somewhere? I want to see my baby girl." I felt a little embarrassed talking to my mother in front of people, but tried to ignore the mischievously smiling boy in front of me as he listened in.

"Sure, just a second." I said striding closer to the little oil lamp at the desk. Mom smiled brightly.

"That's much better." She said. "So how are you honey? You've been eating right? And being careful?" I rolled my eyes. Typical mom worries.

"Yeah mom, everything is fine. I've been safe and all that jazz." I assured her. "I'm looking out for Cheren and Bianca too. So far, everybody is great. We all started getting Badges, and meeting new people, and catching new Pokémon. It's so great." She gave me a toothy grin.

"That's good! I'm really happy for you. I knew it was silly to worry so much..."

"It's okay mom. I promise everything will be fine." I told her. "How is everything at home?"

"Good!" She nodded a few times. "Professor Juniper just left this morning to conduct some research in Driftveil City. Maybe you'll catch up to her."

"Oh cool!" That was where I'd be heading after Nimbasa. Hopefully I would meet up with her and ask a few questions.

"White... Your call is a little fuzzy. Where are you right now?" She asked blinking.

"Oh, a friend and I got caught in a sandstorm on Route 4. We've been hiding out in a little shack until it blows over." I explained. She frowned.

"Oh honey, you should really be more careful. Didn't you check the weather reports before going out?" I rolled my eyes again.

"Yeah... I guess that would have been a good idea. But we're fine!" Black began hovering over my shoulder. Mom must've caught sight of him because she gasped.

"Oh! Who is that?" She asked. I held my wrist a little further away so she could see us both on the screen.

"Mom, this is my friend, Black." Black tipped his hat a little.

"Pleasure to meet you." He said. Mom smiled and studied him a little more.

"Pleased to meet you too! What a polite boy... And so handsome too! Such pretty eyes." She grinned. There was the embarrassment, right on schedule.

"Mom..." I mumbled out.

"Well he is! I like him already!" My mother and Black shared a small laugh. I groaned. I couldn't even disagree with her. She let out a breath. "I'm glad to see that you're doing okay. I just wanted to call every once in a while to check on you... Is there anything else you'd want to tell me?" Her eyes sparkled, like she wanted a riveting tale. But, I don't think she'd handle my encounters with Team Plasma too well. And Arceus only knows what she would think about N. it was best to keep that a secret for now. So I smiled lightly.

"Nah, that's really all so far. But I'm sure I'll have some crazy adventures I can tell you someday, right?" Mom chuckled.

"Of course! Alright, I suppose I should let you go for now. I promise I'll call every so often to check in with you. Now be careful! And remember to have fun! Bye sweetie, I love you." She said waving. I waved back.

"Bye mom, love you too." I said. And then the screen went black and the call ended. My Xtranciever reverted back to the home page. I stared at it for a while, then dropped my wrist sighing. I had only been away a few days. I refused to let myself feel homesick already. Black put his hand on my shoulder.

"I like your mother." He joked. I breathed a laugh and shrugged him off.

"I'm sure you do. Apparently, she likes you too." I said. It was quiet for a second. It was... Quiet. The little shack wasn't rumbling. I couldn't hear the sand and grit smashing against the outside walls anymore. I approached the door and cautiously reached out to pull the knob.

"Hey, be careful." Black warned. I took a breath and pulled it open slowly. Taking a peek outside, I noticed the storm had calmed down. The wind may have been blowing just slightly, but it was gentle. The sky was clear again and the sun made the ground seem like gold. I let out a relieved breath and fully opened the door.

"Looks like the storm ended." Black walked up behind me and inspected the area.

"Seems like it." He confirmed. I turned to face him and saw he was handing my hat back. I looked at him questioningly. "Well it is your favorite hat." I quickly pulled up my hair and took back my hat, putting it on it's rightful place, my head.

"Thanks. And thanks for dragging me in here earlier." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Want to continue heading to Nimbasa with me? You know, just in case there's another sandstorm approaching." I smirked. Black rolled his eyes.

"Sure thing. I'd love to accompany such a lovely young lady. And..." He trailed off as we shut the door behind us. "I still intend to get a little souvenir before the day ends." He winked. I smiled cheerfully. This guy was alright.

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_**Awww no smooching. I actually had to rewrite this quite a few times just so I didn't get too mushy as I promised :P HOWEVER, the smooching will indeed come later my friends... but with who? Please R&R! It keeps the dream alive and the chapters flowing! Chapter 10 is on it's way!**_

_**On a side note, allow me to explain the whole Grand Champion title system and such so no one is confused. I see it like this: There are specific tests that one has to go through in order to become a gym leader, member of the elite four, and especially the final challenger after the elite four. Which is why whenever you beat any of them, you don't automatically become a gym leader or the fifth of the four. So you know, you can go back and challenge them as you please. If you do beat the entire elite four, you earn the title Champion but you don't take over their place. In order to do so, a Champion must take several tests or perform some great act of bravery or whatever to become Grand Champion. Or study and stuff to be a gym leader. This is just my take on things. It is completely debatable.**_

_**Possible spoiler:**_

_**That's kind of why I think Iris ends up becoming the fifth of the elite in Black and White 2. She must've done something in order to achieve that position.**_

_**Possible spoilers end here.**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Hello again everyone! In honor of my tenth chapter and finally reaching a total of 1k views, I would like to propose a toast! To White! Yaaaay. It might not be the biggest deal in the world, but it does mean a lot to me! And it's all thanks to my wonderful readers and reviewers. So thank you! Keep doing what you're doing! I present to you, chapter 10. Enjoy!~**_

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The weather on the rest of the way to Nimbasa was pleasant. No more sand storms. Surprisingly, I was a little disappointed. I wouldn't have minded spending some more time locked up in a dimly lit room with a cute guy that I was crushing on. But I still had a mission to stay on. I couldn't distract myself with puppy love for too long... Although I wouldn't mind.

Black and I chatted about his travels the rest of the way there. I asked about his battle tactics for Cheren, who would definitely be pleased. It was fun picking his brain. Finding out what to expect from the rest of the Gym Leaders, where I should look for certain types of Pokémon, and where I should visit for some really good food. I was looking forward to my own journey before, but now I couldn't even wait.

We waded through the thick sand until we came to a paved road at the end of the route. We passed quickly under the highway overhead and reached the gate that led into Nimbasa. We stopped before entering and I held my breath.

"Ready?" Black said. I looked at him and nodded once. I could hardly contain my excitement. I grabbed Blacks hand and started to pull him through the gate.

"Yes yes! Let's go!" I cried. He chuckled as I continued dragging him with me. We passed the front counter and the news on the widescreen television, and stepped through the other side of the gate. Nimbasa stood before me, as grand as I had hoped. I stopped to admire everything I saw.

Directly in front of us was an enormous, beautifully modern building with a dome ceiling and tall windows surrounding it. Definitely the Battle Subway. Trainers were walking in and out of the giant archway, some successful and some not. To our left was the familiar red topped PokeCenter and a few apartment buildings. I was beaming already, and I hadn't even seen the rest of the city yet!

"Come on, I'll show you around." Black said wrapping his fingers in mine. I blushed and obediently followed him. We walked forward, past the Battle Subway and over a pretty bridge. Surrounding the outer perimeter of the city were little houses and other buildings for business. Black began pointing things out to me. "These are the two sport stadiums. This one is for tennis and badminton." He noted pointing the the smaller circular building. "And this one," he turned towards the huge one next to it. "is for football and soccer and even baseball." He explained. I looked at the towering buildings with awe. Black practically had to pry me away so he could show me the rest of Nimbasa. We kept walking to the east side of town. The streets were so clean. And the atmosphere was just amazing. There were little patches of flowers here and there that brightened up the roads. Black kept pointing out certain buildings for me. It was like a new world. So many people wandering around the streets, people from everywhere in Unova just coming to admire the big city. A building near the end of the road caught my attention. It was another dome-shaped building with rainbow-colored lights surrounding it. The neon nearly blinded me as I stared. There was a big pink Pokeball on the top with the glowing word 'Musical' underneath. My eyes widened.

"So this is the Pokémon Musical..." I whispered. "So cool..."

"Yeah, the shows here are really good. I've seen one before, but I would really like to see one again."

"Oh! Can we go? Can we see one tonight?" I pleaded tugging at his sleeve. He chuckled.

"If you really want to go, of course. But you would have to consider it a date with me." Even better.

"Deal." I said happily. He smirked.

"It's a date then. But let's keep looking around. I want to show you the amusement park still." I squealed with delight and grinned widely.

"Let's go then!" I sang. He laughed again and started taking me towards the south side of the city again. I wasn't sure if it was a bad thing that I was so excited. I couldn't help it! I was with an attractive guy that I liked, and touring a city I had always dreamed of seeing. Today was just perfect. We made a left turn through some decorative archways and over a bridge that led into the park. We passed through the second arch and finally made it to the entrance of the amusement park.

There was no fees to get in, no charge for rides, anyone was welcome. There was an Audino bounce house right when we walked in. Little children were joyfully jumping up and down while their parents watched and took pictures from outside. I giggled. How cute! On the other side was a ride that took you into the up and down on little Pidoves and Duckletts. We kept walking through. There were concession stands that had ice cream and different foods, and games that you could play. A haunted house was stationed in the back of a corner. A huge Cofagrigus sign was surrounded by real Litwicks that gave it an eerie glow. Two kids ran past us holding stuffed Darumaka and Minccino dolls. At the very end of the amusement park was an enormous Ferris wheel. It overlooked the ocean. Pokeball carriers brought you up and around so that you could see everything. I longed to ride it. Black could probably sense my attraction for it already.

"Want to go on a ride with me?" He asked already knowing the answer. I nodded and we started walking towards it. A glowing cyan light on our left side caught my attention though. I looked and saw a tiny purple building. There was no sign, just a little building. The other thing that caught my attention were the two people standing in front of it.

"Cheren! Bianca!" I called out. They turned their attention to me and waved.

"Oh White! Come here!" Bianca requested. I tugged Black along with me.

"Hey guys!" I said cheerfully. "It's good to see you again."

"Hi White! Look at what I got!" Bianca said pulling out the Insect Badge. I gawked. _When were they getting these?_ There was no way they could have gotten these badges before I reached Nimbasa. I shook my head. I would never know.

"That's great Bianca." I turned to Cheren. "And what about you? Have you already gotten the Bolt Badge?" He probably had, but he shook his head.

"Not yet. Bianca insisted on riding the rides before we challenged the Gym." The jerked his head towards the little purple building. "It's through here. A roller coaster and a Gym. How cool is that?" He said. I was interested.

"That does sound cool..." I replied. Black was rocking back and forth on his heels. "Oh! I almost forgot." I brought him closer and presented him to my friends. "Guys, this is Black." Black tipped his hat to Bianca and held out his hand for Cheren.

"Nice to meet you both." He smiled. Cheren froze. His jaw dropped. He reached a shaky hand out to Black.

"Y-you're-you're a Ch-champion." He stumbled out, finally able to take his hand. He shook it rapidly. "I-it's such a pleasure to meet you! You must tell me your secrets, your strategies, everything!" He begged. We all laughed out loud. Cheren was dead serious though.

"Sheesh Black, maybe you should just take Cheren on a date instead." I joked.

"Date?" Bianca and Cheren said simultaneously. Oops. Did I let that slip?

"Ooooooh! White has a boyfriend!" Bianca cooed. I blushed.

"Well... I mean..." I started. I really didn't know what to call us. Black coughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah... Kind of..." Apparently he didn't know what to call us either. We exchanged glances and shared an embarrassed smile.

"Humph... Boyfriend huh?" Cheren scoffed. I raised an eyebrow. He didn't have to be so obvious about his displeasure. It was strange for him to act like that. Of course, I had never had a boyfriend before, so maybe it wasn't so strange? Who knows with him. Bianca rolled her eyes.

"Oh hush Cheren. No need to get jealous." She beamed at me. "I'm happy for you anyways! Hey, Cheren and I were going to grab something to eat soon. Do you want to come with us?" She asked.

"Sounds great." I replied.

"Maybe after dinner we can all go to see the Pokémon Musical tonight?" Black suggested.

"That's a great idea! The whole gang!" Bianca cheered. Cheren let out a sigh. I playfully punched him.

"While we're all together, maybe Black will tell you some of his secrets." He seemed to lighten up a little.

"Yeah, I guess it would be kind of fun to go..." He smirked and nodded once. "Alright. We'll do it." He agreed. Perfect! Things were going so well. Until I turned my head to the Ferris wheel. I quickly turned back and clutched Black's hand harder. He looked at me, confused.

"Hey, are you okay White?" He asked concerned. I bit my lip and slowly nodded.

"I'm fine." I lied. He wasn't convinced.

"Are you sure? You're gripping my hand pretty tight right now." He noted.

"Why don't you take Cheren and Bianca for a walk? You know, since Cheren is dying to find out your strategies. I'm sure Bianca would want to know too." I said. They all looked at me funny. I groaned. "Can I just have a little time alone? I'll explain later, I promise." They still looked worried. But Black eventually sighed.

"Alright. We'll just be over here if you need us, okay?" He said. I nodded. Then he turned and began walking away. Bianca and Cheren reluctantly followed.

I let out a breath and snuck another peek towards the Ferris wheel. He was still standing there. Just staring at it. I didn't want to approach him, but at the same time I did. I hated that he was even here. Why was he here? _Why?_ I contemplated talking to him. I would regret it for sure. So then why would I even think about it? Because I wanted to see him again? But I thought I didn't like seeing him? I grabbed the sides of my head. What was wrong with me?

My thought process was interrupted when a little boy appeared in front of me. I looked down and studied him. He had ultra blue eyes and jet black hair... It had to be Zorua. He gave me a big smile and hugged my legs. I couldn't help feeling happy and gently patting his head. He let go and reached for my hand. I hesitated, knowing he would take me to him. But I took Zorua's tiny hand anyways. As expected, he began leading me towards the Ferris wheel. I held my breath when we approached him, and tried not to look into those stupid green eyes. Zorua tugged at his pant leg until he turned to face us.

"Well hello White." He greeted me.

"Hey." I said dryly, still not looking up. He suddenly put his finer to my chin and lifted up my face. He frowned.

"Why won't you look at me?" He asked. I couldn't look away at this point. His eyes had already affixed to mine.

"Why would you want me to look at you anyways?" I retorted.

"I like to see your eyes. They soothe me." He explained with a blank face. There wasn't even any way to hide my blush._ Of course he would do something like this to me._ Zorua continued to cuddle against my leg. I jerked my head away.

"What are you even doing here N? Are you following me? I see you everywhere." I asked. He shrugged.

"I assure you, it's a complete coincidence. We just happen to be in the same place at the same time. I have business to take care of here, and I'm sure you do as well." He blinked. "Taking on the Gym I would assume?" I sighed.

"Yeah. And what about you? Going to see the Pokémon Musical?" I was joking, but he gave me a look of disgust. Zorua transformed into his original state and pawed at N's pants until he picked him up.

"Absolutely not." He scratched behind Zorua's ears. "Pokémon Musical... It's just another way to exploit the poor creatures and make them compete with one another to be the lead. Trainers pushing them too hard. There is no end to this and it sickens me." He had gotten into his fast paced speaking again. I shook my head.

"You still talk so fast." He cocked his head.

"Well, you can't expect me to change so easily can you?" I thought about when we spoke in Castellia.

_"... I will not allow my way of thinking to be changed by someone who opposes my goals..."_

"Of course not." I honestly couldn't tell what he would do. I just kind of let it go.

"Will you ride the Ferris wheel with me?" He said changing moods suddenly. I raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Don't you have important business to tend to?"

"Don't you as well? Yet here you are, speaking with me." He replied. _Dammit..._ He was right. I shrugged.

"Fine. But just one ride." His eyes lit up.

"Splendid. There are things I wish to discuss with you." He turned and led me to the entrance of the ride. It was self automated, so anyone could get on and off at anytime. The circle of Pokeballs continued forever. N pressed a button and we patiently waited for one of the carriers to stop for us to board. Once it did, N allowed me to sit inside first. He got in after and sat on the opposite seat as he shut the door. Zorua hopped out of his arms and onto my lap, begging for affection. I giggled and scratched his tummy. "He is happy to see you again." N told me. I smiled lightly.

"I'm kind of happy to see him too." Zorua barked cheerfully.

The the ride began. Our Pokeball started to move sluggishly around the wheel. And when I say sluggishly, I wasn't exaggerating. It was moving slower than a lazy Roggenrola. This was going to be one long ride.

I stared out the window when we finally moved out of the boarding zone. At first I could only see trees in my way though. Our height gradually built and soon I could see over them.

"I love Ferris wheels." N said looking out the window as well. "Their perfectly circular motion... Each mechanic working equally to produce an absolute path... It's inspiring." I wasn't sure how machines could be inspiring, but I expected such strange comments from him by now.

"I've never been on one before. This is my first time." I explained. And it was my first time... And I was with him, not Black. He nodded once.

"It's my first as well." I was surprised. I faced him and gave a questioning glare.

"How can you appreciate the 'perfectly circular motion' and such if you've never been on a Ferris wheel before?" I asked.

"Well I've studied them." _Of course he had._ I continued to stroke Zorua's black fur.

"You know, just reading about certain things won't give you the experience. It's not the same if you're looking at words on paper. You can't describe fun in books... Why did you even want me to come with you?" His eyes widened.

"As I said, it's my first time too. What if I got scared? I wouldn't want to go by myself..." His jade eyes bore through me.

"Really? You have Zorua with you though." I informed him. The little Pokémon barked in agreement. N looked out the window again.

"I feel more at ease around you." He admitted. He lifted his chin. "Look at how high we are now." I turned to the window, looked through the clear glass, and was taken aback. We were ridiculously high. Not at the very top, but high enough to scare the total crap out of me. Far above the trees, above some of the buildings, everything looked so much smaller. I brought Zorua close to my chest, crawled to the very corner of the plush red seat, and brought my knees up.

"Oh Arceus... C-can we get down now?" I whined. Yeah... I didn't think I'd be afraid of heights. N watched me, intrigued.

"What's the matter? You were alright a moment ago."

"I know but... I don't think I like being so high up..." I mumbled. He smirked a little.

"Perhaps it's better that I came with you? You're afraid of heights?" I turned my face and puffed out my cheeks.

"Maybe." I said as quietly as I could. He chucked. Zorua coughed a little bit. I must've been squeezing him too hard. "Oh! I'm sorry..." I loosened my embrace. Zorua let out a breath.

"You're that uneasy? Here, think about something that comforts you. Like that boy earlier." _That boy?_

"You mean Black?" I asked.

"I don't know his name. But you seemed very happy around him." Blush started to creep into my cheeks.

"He's just... Um... He's a very good friend." _Man, why did N have to make things so awkward?_ He frowned.

"Hold up your hand." He instructed.

"Why?" I eyed him.

"Please." I hesitantly did as I was told and waited to see what he would do. He took his right hand up to mine and placed them together. N had to shift his long fingers until they just met mine. I should have pulled back, but I didn't. "Something is still missing..." He muttered. His fingers started shifting a little. I waited quietly until one of them slipped in between mine. "Ah... Like this." He said to himself. He carefully wrapped his other fingers through my own and gently gripped my hand. I froze. He stared at me. "Now you." He instructed nodding. When I didn't respond, he took his other hand and softly pushed my fingers around his hand. He looked at me for approval. "Do you feel comforted now?" He asked. My mouth opened, but nothing was coming out. Just small stutters here and there. I finally found my voice.

"Wha... Why would this comfort me?" I asked.

"When you did it with the boy, Black I should say, you were very happy. You smiled. Why don't you smile now? Am I doing it right?" He seemed like a child again. I didn't know how to respond, but to tell the truth... I was comforted. I just stared with dismay, finally realizing that my confusion and trust issues were all connected to one simple fact.

I definitely liked N.

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_***Gasp* ...! But she also likes Black so... What does this mean?! Who knows! (I do). I wonder what our lovely heroine will do next? (I know) We shall find out in chapter 11! So keep up the good work readers and writers! Please R&R!**_

_**Also! In honor of my 1k 10th chapter deal, I will be taking a select few requests from any of my readers! Please message me your ideas and it might pop up in a later chapter! I repeat, MESSAGE ME. Don't put it in the reviews :P So let's see what your creativity consists of! ONE MORE THING. Try to keep the suggestions appropriate c: I'm pretty chill with anything, but you know the limits of a T rating! **_


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